Voldemort's Daughter
by CantLiveWithUCantLiveWithoutU
Summary: STORY BEING RE-DONE: Under title of Daughter of a Riddle
1. Orphaned

Chapter 1

The shadows lingered in the streets. Haunting the hour before dawn. A hunched figure wearing a black hooded cloak strode quickly through the darkness, a bundle clutched tightly in his arms. The figure looked up at the passing apartments, looking for a number on one of the rusting mailboxes. He found the number he was looking for and strode up to the door of the apartment, paint was peeling away from the frame, and bricks lining the walk were crumbling. He knocked quickly at the door, looking behind himself to check the street for people. His shoulders relaxed a bit as he saw the walk was deserted. An older man answered the door, peering at the hunched figure, and the package he carried over his half-moon spectacles. He moved swiftly aside after considering the man for a moment, admitting him into the entrance of the apartment.

The stranger threw back his hood, letting his back hair spill out from the cloak. The older man locked the door and turned to face him, nodding.

"Severus."

The stranger turned to the man, a look of slight annoyance apparent on his gaunt face.

"Albus."

Albus's face turned to look down at the package in Severus's arm.

"So you managed it then?" He whispered quietly, peering like a curious child at the mysterious item. He extended a finger inches before the blanket, a small hand reached out and grasped the finger.

Severus stiffened. "Not without some difficulty. He has barely let her out of his sight since.." His voiced died off and his eyes clouded with the pain of the difficult memory.

Severus shifted the child uncomfortably in his arms, letting the blanket around her face fall away. Ringlets curled around the child's face, the color was unusual; it was a dark almost burgundy color, almost the same as blood. Her dark blue eyes gazed up at the man holding her, wide and staring. Severus looked at everything in the hall, trying to avoid the small child's gaze. Giving in, he glanced quickly at her and shuddered, extending out the child to Albus.

Albus took the child, smiling down at it, and making small cooing noises.

He spoke to Severus, not taking his eyes off the child.

"What's wrong Severus? Not a fan of children?"

"Just this one."

Albus looked up at him, a frown on his brow.

"We should not judge her based on her parents. You of all people should know that."

Severus looked away from Albus and the child shame clouded his features.

"I guess you are right. It's hard to get past what her father has done, what he will do. He's a cruel man."

"But that does no mean she will be cruel like him! Severus, you have given her the greatest gift someone could give her at this point in her life. You have given her the chance to make her own path in this world, to be judged based on her actions. Not her father's."

Severus nodded, not looking up from where he stared at the wooden floor.

"What are you going to do with her now?"

Albus smiled, and took a lock of hair into his fingers.

"I cannot tell you directly Severus, you know that. But I can say she will fit in nicely with her new family, with her red hair and all."

Severus raised his eyebrows, and his voice.

"The Weasly's! You cannot mean them! They already have a dozen children, and can barely afford those to begin with! No, I wont be part of this if all you want to give her a life of poverty! I'm already risking my life here!"

Albus played with the child's hair, and kept his eyes on her pale white skin while he talked in a calm voice.

"The Weasly's at the best option for the job, no one will question the girl, as she has red hair, and was born the same year as the twins Fred and George. They have agreed to say she was their triplet, and miraculous one considering the other two were identical, and needed to be hospitalized because of complications at birth, which will explain why no one has seen her in six months. I will be paying the Weasly's a monthly due for taking the child, the sum of which should cover any cost she produces for them. They are loving, and kind, exactly the kind of environment she needs to grow up in."

Severus glared at Albus, crossing his arms over his chest.

Albus looked at him, his eyes twinkling.

"That is, unless you would rather raise the child."

Severus snorted at this and turned away. Albus bowed his head. "That's what I thought."

"What about her name? Everyone shall not think it is a coincidence that two young girls are both with red hair and blue eyes share the same first and middle name, as this young girl."

Albus looked sadly down at the little girl.

"No, she will no longer be called Anna. Any faithful death eater would recognize the name immediately. No, Arthur and Molly have chosen a name for their new daughter. Jamie."

Severus nodded, and lifted his hood back onto his mass of dark hair.

"It seems our business is done here. If you don't mind, I would like to get going before word gets out about Anna's disappearance."

Albus nodded, and Severus stepped towards the door.

"Severus." Albus called, as his companion stepped out into the night.

The hooded man turned back, looking at the old man in the lighted door way.

"Thank you."

Severus gave him a stiff nod, and disappeared down the street, blending in once again with the shadows.


	2. Twelve Years Later

Jamie was woken from her dream by a loud bang, Issuing from overhead. It was Fred and George testing yet another one of their new experiments, or the ghoul had stubbed his toe on the bed again. She sighed, and slammed her pillow down over her face, trying to hold on to the last dregs of sleep. Moments later, she peaked out of the side of her pillow to see her younger sister staring at her.

Ginny's mouth was pulled tight, and her eyes were already full of tears.

Jamie sighed.

"Ginny, please don't start crying right now, its too early for that."

"I don't want you to go." She said, the tears now forming little pools at the bottoms of her eyes.

Jamie looked at her younger sister, her mouth turned downwards.

"Neither do I, I promise to write EVERY day!" Jamie said childishly, hoping to put up a barrier between her and the tears that were coming.

Jamie knew she would not write every day, but at least once a week. She mentally promised herself, and her sister. Ginny had been even worst last year when she left for her first year at school. She bawled all the way to the train, and wouldn't let go of Jamie's hem; she managed to catch the train, but only just. Jamie kept her face the same, knowing that she could easily fool her sister into believing her.

Ginny looked at her with eyes as large as saucers.

"Promise?"

Jamie looked at her and smiled, her smile seemed to be the most genuine thing in the world, and even her parents could be fooled by it.

"Promise."

With that Ginny flipped out of bed, and began to scurry around the small room getting dressed and ready for breakfast.

Jamie sighed, realizing she should do the same, and lazily hauled herself out of bed, combing her hands through her long black hair. At one point, it had been the same color as all of the rest of the Weasly's, she'd seen pictures of herself with dark red hair, spilling in curls around her shoulders in a family portrait when she was four. The day after that portrait was taken, Fred and George had put off fireworks in the house, one of which ended up on her head. All of her hair was burnt beyond repair, and had to be shaved off. She remembered how furious Mom had been with the older twins, and how Fred, George and her had laughed hysterically for hours in the mirror that night, polishing her baldhead with their hands.

When the hair had grown out again, it was black as ebony. Her mother had cried when she saw Jamie coming down the stairs the next day, her hair having grown magically overnight was bouncing in loose black curls down her back. The thought of this made Jamie frown. She loved that she did not share her parent's hair after the accident. It made her different than the others. She felt as though her whole life all her mother and father wanted to do was to make her fit in, and give excuses to any reason she did not.

Shaking this thought from her head, Jamie shoved herself into muggle clothes and hauled herself down stairs for breakfast.

After a frantic breakfast that involved mom shoving toast into random family members mouths, and throw fruit haphazardly across the hall at Fred and George as they bugged Ron about the 'obvious' qualities he had that made him perfect for Slytherin. Her younger brother was white, and looked on the edge of shaking. Jamie could feel herself almost smiling as though memorized by his pain. She shook herself quickly, shying away from the feeling. She had often felt this darkness in moments where someone else was weak. She didn't want to be a bad person, it just felt right, like she should embrace the feeling. "No." she told herself. She leaned down and squeezed Ron's shoulder. Speaking quietly into his ear.

"Don't worry, I can talk to snakes, and I still ended up in Gryffindor. You're a shoe in! I think it's a Weasly curse." She said, winking at him. He looked up with her, his eyes looked as big as Ginny's had earlier this morning, but he managed a feeble smile.

Only her brothers knew about her strange ability, and they had no intention of telling her parents about it. It had helped them out many times, and many of their games when they were young revolved around her pretending to be a snake charmer, and trying to get muggles to give her money on the streets in trade for her showing them tricks she could make the snake do. Much of Fred, George, and her candy stash and fireworks had been bought that way.


	3. The man with the cane

"Hurry! Hurry! You're all going to miss the train!" Mrs. Weasly screeched shoving them, and their belongings out the door. When the family had all finally made it to Platform 9 ¾, steam was billowing out of the scarlet engine's boiler.

Her mom fussed busily over the other children, and Jamie managed to take a look around at the other families. One group in particular, caught her eye. They all had blond hair and were obviously well off. The youngest looked about her age, or a year younger. The mother was a sallow faced woman. Both of them were hugging and saying their goodbyes. But the man behind them was staring at her through steel grey eyes. His expression was unreadable. Jamie narrowed her eyes at the man, and turned her chin slightly up, feeling that she must show the man that she could not be intimidated. The man made a gracefully move with his hand, extending it away from his body with a long cane held in the leather gloved hand. He gave a small bow in her direction. The woman and child had stopped talking, and had also turned to look at her. The child frowned, having had the attention of his parent drawn away from him, and glared at her, but the woman covered her mouth in shock, and turned pale as she looked at Jamie. Jamie looked at the three people with curiosity, and making up her mind that she would be safe just to exchange a word, she stepped towards them briskly, glancing over her shoulder to see her mother fussing over a speck of dirt on Ron's nose.

She halted slightly before them, seeing the woman recoil slightly into her coat, and the boy narrows his eyes at her. The man with the cane smiled at her.

Jamie felt uncomfortable. She squirmed in her slightly too small jacket, aware for the first time in her life how she must look to the outside world. Just another Weasly in a hand-me down coat.

"Hello my dear, is there something we can help you with?' the man said, a slightly malicious twinkle danced in the back of his eyes.

"Erm, I guess I was wondering exactly why you were staring at me." Jamie said shyly, grinding the toe of her worn boots onto the cobblestone.

The man gave her a larger smile, but something about it made Jamie want to shudder.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry my dear, you just look like someone I knew, a very long time ago." His eyes told a story, but only for one who knew what it was about.

He held her gaze for a few moments longer, as if looking for something. Then he broke it and let out a harsh laugh.

"Ahh, but it can't be you! You have err.. Parents." He said, looking mockingly at the rest of her family. Jamie glared at him, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"What was her name? Maybe I know her and can help you find her."

"Jamie!" came the angry call of her father who jogged up behind her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. He stiffened, facing the man Jamie had been talking to.

"Lucius." He addressed the man coldly.

"Arthur." The man addressed her father coolly.

"Well I think its best if we get back to your mother Jamie, she would like to see you on the train in an orderly fashion this time." Arthur said, firmly leading her away.

"Anna." Lucius said loudly, as they began to walk away. She felt her father stiffen as she glanced through his arm at the man. Her father began to pick up pace, and grabbed Jamie in his arms, almost running her back to the rest of her family.

"Her name was Anna." The man with the cane called with a singsong tone.

"And she looked just like you." Lucius whispered under his breath, quiet enough so only his wife and son could hear.

Jamie struggled to free herself from her father's arms, but her just held on to her more insistently.

"Let me go!" She yelled pounding on his back.

"I am not a child!"

"Well your certainly acting likes one!" Her father said angrily, carrying her past the staring Weasly's and into a small in-closed area.

He set her down on a bench and knelt before her, looking her in the eyes.

"What did he say to you?" Her father said calmly, worry was apparent from the tell tale lines on his forehead.

Jamie fixed her face, she knew that the man hadn't said anything that actually mattered to her, but she felt that her father didn't need to know everything that went on in her life.

"Nothing, he just asked my name."

She saw relief spread across his face and he ran a hand through his hair sighing deeply. He got to his feet, and offered her a hand.

"Lets go let your mother fuss over you one last time before Christmas now, shall we?" He said, smile lighting up his face. She pretended to grimace, and took his hand.

"Only because I can't stop her." She said, smiling up at her father. Hand in hand they walked back to the large group of red haired people they called family.


	4. The Dream

After her mother had finished fussing over her, Jamie hurried onto the train and found an empty compartment. After shoving her stuff roughly into the overhead racks she sat down with a sigh. Only then did Fred and George come busting in, bringing the ever-following chaos along for the ride. She smiled at them, as they played with a toad they had found hopping around the corridor. It was so easy to be around them Jamie thought to herself, noting that it was probably their birth connection, and that if she had only just met them they would in fact annoy her to death. Smiling at this thought, she drifted to sleep in the warm sun that reflected into the cabin, listening to the croaking of the poor frog and the laughs of her brothers.

_She was in a large room. The floors were made of polished wood, the walls white in contrast. A fire blazed in the hearth at one end of the room the only light source for the immense room; chairs were spread amply around it. _

"_Anna." A clear voice called from the other end of the room._

_She turned quickly, finding her feet leading her forward towards the door, where the shadow of a man stood, only seen through the dim light that the fire provided the room. She commanded her feet to stop, and they did to her immense relief._

"_Anna." The voice called again, this time a little more firm._

"_Come here."_

_Her feet began to walk towards the man again, deaf to her silent pleas for them to stop. She did not know why she didn't want to go to the man, only that she needed to be as far away from him as she could get._

"_My name is not Anna!" She said, trying physically now to stop her feet. _

"_My name is not Anna!"_

_She succeeded in making them slow a little, but not altogether stop._

"_Anna." The man growled_

"_That is not my name!" She cried, trying in vain to throw herself to the floor in attempt to get her feet to stop moving towards the man. They moved more quickly now. She felt the mans arms wrap around her shoulders; she looked up to meet his eyes._

Jamie woke with a bloodcurdling scream. Her brothers jumped at the sound and went to their sister. Jamie was shaking all over, her skin was pale as slick with a cold sweat.

"Jamie, what the hell? Jamie!! What's wrong??" Fred said, looking at his sister with worry.

She composed a smiled on her face.

"Nothing, just a nightmare."

She could tell they didn't believe her fully, but thought better than to pursue the subject at this point.

"What happened to your frog?" Jamie asked, trying to distract them.

They took the bait.

"We lost it once we covered it in pudding." George said seriously. Fred nodded.

Jamie raised an eyebrow. "Pudding?"

"Yah, we wanted to make one of the first years to think it was just a stale chocolate frog, and try and take a chomp out of it." Fred said while George use gestures to demonstrate.

Jamie choked back her laughter, and took on an expression of sadness.

"Why, it is horrible you could not see the joke through, I'm sure it would have been one of your better ones." Jamie remarked, looking out the window. The dream still lingered in her thoughts, and she shuddered at that name. Anna.

"Anna? Whose Anna?" George asked, looking at her nose, the one spot the two of them new she could not keep from twitching, only slightly, when she was lying. She hadn't even realized she had spoken the name until now. So Jamie said the safest thing she could think of about this Anna.

"I don't know."


	5. Scarlet Letter

The twins, as she like to call Fred and George because they were identical. Hardly anyone knew that she was their triplet, family secret I suppose. Anyhow, the twins kept Jamie Company for a while, or at least until they were positive that their sister would not start shrieking again. Then they left supposedly to hunt for the pudding covered frog, but Jamie suspected differently when she had caught a glimpse between the Twins and Lee Jordan made her suspect otherwise. Afraid of drifting to sleep again, Jamie propped herself up with one of her favorite novels. Dreaming Anastasia. And set it open to her favorite page. She lost herself in the book for only a moment, when the door to her compartment slid open again. It was the blonde haired boy from the platform, a smirk was on his face and he was followed by two large first years, but they were after all, still first years. Jamie observed them coolly.

"Can I help you err… gentlemen?" She said, in a slightly mocking tone. The blonde boy ran a hand through his slick hair and sat down opposite her, motioning for his 'goons' to close the door and stand watch.

"I thought we'd have a little chat." The boy said, sizing her up.

"My name's Draco, Draco Malfoy." He said, showing a considerable amount of pride to be called a Malfoy, from what she could tell.

He extended a hand, and she shook it firmly.

"Jamie, Jamie ahherr…." "Weasly?" He finished for her. She gave him a nod, blushing slightly.

"Well, you seem nothing like them to me, and you don't have that horrible red hair! You could use a decent set of clothes, but overall. You do not appear to be any more a Weasly, and if I were dressed in horrid clothes such as those!"

Jamie felt her anger growing.

"I think it's best if you leave now Draco." She said, as polite as she could, but an edge was caught in the words.

Draco shrugged "alright then, I wouldn't have come here to begin with, but my father asked me to give you this.." he said, pulling out a letter and handing it to Jamie, It was addressed to an Anna, Jamie tried to hand it back to him, but he quickly put both his hands in his pockets. "It's not mine" she said "its addressed to—" I was told to give to one Jamie Weasly…before the train reached Hogwarts." He took one look into her eyes and stood up, leaving her alone with her thoughts.


	6. Behind the Grey eyes

Jamie frowned, and turned the letter around in her hand, pausing to run over the name it was addressed to _**Anna Taryn Riddle**_. Would it be right for her to open it? After all, it wasn't hers to read. Jamie contemplated about the letter for a while, but finally gave in with the idea that maybe if she met this Anna, she would give the letter to the girl and apologize for reading it. Having made it seem at the least, no immoral to open the letter, she slid her thumb under what she assumed was the Malfoy crest on the back, and took out the thin sheet of paper. The writing was a long and educated script. Words traveled seamlessly across the page in the writing of an educated man.

_**My Dear Anna,**_

_** At the moment, it may confuse you as to why I am calling you by that name, but I know that in due time you will understand. Until then, I can only say this: You are not who you think you are, you are much more powerful and well bred than the pathetic, muggle-loving family that brought you up. And you deserve to know the truth, in due time. I ask that you consider writing to me; I would love to hear your opinions about a few subjects, please consider it Anna.**_

_**May the dark lord protect you.**_

_**Lucius Malfoy**_

Jamie sat in silence for a moment, stunned by the letter. Then let out a laugh.

"It couldn't be more ridiculous!" She said wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. She sat down with her book again, once in a while chuckling to herself at the thought of the letter.


	7. Christmas Gift

For the most part, the term passed uneventfully for Jamie. She spent much of her time talking with friends, or helping Fred and George plot their next prank. Ron had been sorted in to Gryffindor, along with his now fast becoming best friend, Harry Potter. Jamie had shared several conversations with the boy-who-lived, but avoided any topics that could cause discomfort. She knew what it was like, having black hair and all. Most of her relatives would make at least one comment each on the different color of her hair, as if it offended them. Not that she was comparing her hair problems to his horrible story, but she knew what it was like… on a much smaller scale.

Christmas had snuck up very quickly on her this year. Her parents were visiting Charlie in Romania, so the rest of the Weasly gang (besides Bill) had stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays. She had gotten her traditional Blue knit sweater with a large gold 'J' on the front, Jamie smiled and slid it on knowing that her twins would also be getting matching sweaters. Wearing them, was one of the only times that Jamie felt like she really was their triplet. As if the woven sweaters showed to the outside world that yes, she was a triplet. She finished opening the rest of her gifts. A ruin symbol Bill thought she would like, and some pressed flowers from Charlie. They smelled fragrant in the dorm room, and it made her smile. She hadn't seen Charlie in two years, and she missed her favorite brother dearly. She always felt like she had a connection with him that she didn't share with the rest. Under Charlie's packet, there was a small brow parcel. There was a card on top of it, addressed to Anna. Jamie felt the hairs on her arms stand on end, and a shudder ran through her body. She hadn't thought about the man with the cane, or the dream since that day. She'd tried not to. She looked around, to check and see if the room was empty. It was, of course. None of her roommates had stayed over the break. She took the envelope of the card, and turned it over. It was blank except for the four-letter word. She frowned. How had the elves known to give it to her if there was no address? Not to mention that it was addressed to the wrong person. Unless… someone had been in here last night. The thought made her shudder. She opened the card, hoping it was just her nerves. She gave her head a shake, and ripped open the envelope.

_**Anna,**_

_** The time of truth draws nearer still. But for now, only accept this gift as a token of my affection I wish for you to think of me as a father figure in the future, and a desire for you to find solace in the truth.**_

_**Merry Christmas.**_

_**We shall see each other soon.**_

_**LM**_

Jamie narrowed her eyes at the last line. "Like hell they would see each other soon!" she thought spitefully. She balled the paper up, and chucked it into her trunk, along with the parcel, unopened.

The rest of the holidays passed without disturbance, and Jamie settled once again into the daily routine of life. The rest of the year followed, with the only remarkable thing happening was Harry's encounter with you-know whom.


	8. Confrontation on the Platform

The term past uneventfully for Jamie, other than the miraculous win of Gryffindor in the house cup, nothing terribly exciting had happened to her. On the way home to at the end of the year, she shared a cabin with the golden trio and they laughed as the Hogwarts express rolled through the hills. They landed at the platform, and after saying goodbye to Harry and Hermonie; she left in search of her mother and father. Who she found first, was the last person she wanted to see. Lucius Malfoy smiled as he saw her, and walked towards her quickly. She stood, almost frozen in place, mesmerized in fear at his malicious grey eyes. He took a hold on her arm, and sped her off to a deserted enclosure away from prying eyes. She struggled to get away from the man, but he held firmly onto her until he locked her, and himself in the compartment. He turned around to face her, an evil smile on his face.

"Did you like my gift?"

She glared at him. But said nothing.

He paced back and forth, watching her like a hungry wolf.

"Well?" he said, stopping.

"My name's not Anna." She said quietly

He stared at her for a moment, and then laughed.

"Oh my dear, you have no idea."

"My parents must be looking for me. I shoul—"

"I've petitioned the ministry to take you for the summer, saying that it must be impossible that the Weasly's be your birth parents, and must have kidnapped you when you were a young child. You look nothing like them, Anna even you must realize that." She glared at the man, knowing it was true. Her hair, was only one of the things that made her stand apart from her family. Where all the others had freckles, her skin was pale as an alabaster doll. Her eyes ere shaped differently, almost almond instead of round, her blue eyes an off shade from the rest of the Weasly's. She was tall, but not gangly like her twins, well proportioned for her height. She had tried not to think about their differences before, pushing the thought to the back of her head. But to hear Mr. Malfoy say it so plainly, brought her fears to the surface. He saw the emotion play across her face as she registered what he was saying. He smiled, a cold, pale smile and outstretched a hand towards her.

"Anna, you deserve so much more than your.. parents." He stumbled over the word ironically. "Can give you, let me help you. I knew your real father, he would have wanted you to be raised by someone with higher standards than your current… family."

She glared at him. "Someone like you I suppose?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Yes, someone like me."

"Well, that isn't something for you to decide." She snapped.

He kneeled down to her eye level. Grabbing her hands.

"Anna… let me help you."

"Don't call me that!" She snapped, pulling away from him.

He frowned at her "don't be difficult, your father –"

"My FATHER" She said, spitting the word at him "Is waiting for me on the platform."

She glared at him, she walked towards the door and tugged it open, she paused one more a moment, and looked back at him.

"I may not look like my family, but I think like them, and they know me better than anyone. I am a Gryffindor, just like my parents, like my brothers and sister. You don't know me, and I think it's best if it stays that way." She turned, and walked away from Mr. Malfoy, slamming the door behind her.

He ran after her, and caught her, turning her to face him.

"Anna! Don't be stupid." He said, shaking her.

"Let go of me!" She cried "my name isn't Anna!"

She heard footsteps running up behind her.

"Let go of my daughter!" Her father spat at Malfoy.

"Your daughter? Your daughter? That's a laugh! Why don't you tell her who she really is Arthur? Or maybe, you'd rather her just find out the hard way!" Malfoy snarled. Jamie didn't see it, but she heard it. There was a loud bang as her father fired a hex at Malfoy and in the next moment, Lucius was on the ground, his nose bleeding profusely. Her father tugged on her arm and she turned around. He scooped her up in his arms, and strode away through the crowd that was forming around Malfoy.

"Mark my words Weasly! He will return, and when he does, she will know everything!" Malfoy bellowed after them. Her father kept on walking, not replying to Malfoy's remark. Jamie nestled into her father's coat, and he put a hand around her head to comfort her.

They did not speak the entire way home, nor did they approach the subject for the rest of the week. Things began to settle into the quiet routine of summer. The next weekend, late at night Jamie woke from a nightmare. It was the same as the one she had on the train going to school the year before about the man calling her Anna. She walked down the creaky stairs, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. Her parents were the only ones still up, talking in hushed voices in the living room. She went in, and they looked up at her, smiling.

"Can't sleep?" Her father asked.

She shook her head, walking over and sitting down next to him. He lifted his arm and she cuddled into him.

"No." She said with a sigh.

She realized this was the first time she had been completely alone with her parent since her return from school. It made her excited, and the last thoughts of sleep vanished from her mind.

"Mom? Dad?" She asked looking at both her parents.

"Yes sweetheart?" Her mother said.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course dear." She said, smiling.

Jamie hesitated.

"Am I… adopted?"

The smile vanished from her mother's face, and she felt her father stiffen beside her.

They were silent for a long while.

Her father sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Jamie. We love you, we love you very much."

She nodded, knowing the answer. She sighed.

"I know."

She saw tears forming in her mother's eyes.

"Oh mom! Don't cry!" She said, getting up and hugging her mom.

She felt her mom stifle a sob against her chest. She looked up and held Jamie's head in between her hands.

"Jamie. We love you so much!" Her mother choked out. Jamie nodded, fighting back tears.

" I know mom, I know. This doesn't change anything! I just wanted to know." She said, letting the tears spill down her face. So it was true then. She wasn't born into this family, maybe Malfoy was right.

"Were my parents… Were they bad people?"

Her parents sat in silence again.

"Jamie, I think you are a bit too young to know everything right now. Can we discuss this again in a couple of years?" Her father asked.

Jamie nodded, knowing once again the unsaid answer to her question.

"Why do the Malfoy's want?" She asked, seeing her fathers eyes harden at the mention of the name.

"Lucius… We believe he knew your father."

Jamie nodded, her stomach clenched at her next question.

"did you change my name?"

Her adopted parents paused, exchanging a look between each other.

"My name was Anna before, wasn't it?" She said sadly, looking at them.

Her father nodded.

"We love you Jamie." He said, extending his arms out to embrace her. She walked over to him and sat on the couch again, letting herself be held as she cried herself to sleep.


	9. What was written

The summer past slowly after that. Jamie spent most of her time, trying to avoid awkward conversations from her parents, and the other half, having awkward conversations with her parents. Part of her wanted to know who her birth parents were, and part of her knew it was probably best that she didn't. She wondered what they looked like, who's eyes she had, who's hair. She hadn't even asked her parents if they were still alive, but somehow she got the feeling that they weren't. The best picture she could come up with was that they were death eaters, who worked for you-know-who before he fell from power. She shuddered, imagining the horrible things they did, all the people they killed.

She often looked at the two letters that Lucius has given her, it was obvious looking at them now, that he had known at least her father.

It was the day before they were set to go back to school. Jamie was sitting on her bed, she had the two letters out, as well as the package that Malfoy had sent her at Christmas which she was turning over in her hands. She hadn't had the courage to open it. She didn't know why, but it seemed the longer she kept it wrapped the more she wanted to see what was in it, and the more she didn't.

She threw it back on the bed, and laid down, frustrated at her lack of courage. She was a Gryffindor for gods sake! She was suppose to be brave.

"Well," she thought to herself.

"At least I have one quality that makes me a Gryffindor. At least I'm loyal." Although the summer had been awkward, she didn't want things to change. She loved her parents, even if she wasn't related to them.

She sat up, running her hand through her hair and glaring at the letters/package. She picked them up, and threw them into her open trunk, piling unfolded clothes ontop of them. She smiled to herself, having packed everything she had on top of the reminders of her past. Out of sight, out of mind.

The next day, they hurried to the station, later than usual. Jamie crossed over onto the platform at a run, Ginny beside her. She made her way to the train which already had steam billowing out of the engine, and loaded Ginny's and her trunk onto the train. Ginny jumped on, and she took the railing, hauling herself after her sister, when she felt a hand pull around her waist, and pull her down.

She felt her throat tighten in fear as the hand dragged her down the platform.

"Anna," She felt Lucius's hot breath in her ear.

He let go of her waist, taking hold of her wrists and turning her to face him.

His expression was wild, and angry.

"I haven't given up. I will fight for you." He hissed, pulling something out of his jacket. She winced, thinking it was his wand. He smiled, looking as though he enjoyed having power over her. He held up a letter, raising one of his eyebrows he shoved it in her hands.

"I'll see you soon Anna, mark my words." With that he let go of her wrists. She look at him, uncertain whether he was letting her go or not, then heard the whistle of the train blow. He nodded to her, and she ran to the train, jumping on it as it began to move slowly away. Lucius chucked softly to himself, and turned away, disappearing into the crowed of waving parents.

Jamie turned the letter over in her hands, not sure whether to open it or not. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, setting the letter aside.

"Hey! There you are!" Fred said, peeking his head into the cabin.

"Hey!" Jamie said, shoving the letter in her jacket quickly.

"Have you seen Ron and Harry? We can't find them." George asked.

Jamie shook her head, frowning.

"No, I barely made the train myself. I'm sure they're alright she said.

"Yah." George said, scratching his head.

"I guess you're right." Fred said, sitting down in the seat opposite her.

George threw an arm around her and affectionately.

"So what's new sis? I feel like I haven't seen you all summer, where have you been?"

Jamie raised her eyebrow.

"Avoiding mom and dad, just like you." Fred and George shot her a questioning look.

She shook her head

"No I don't want to tell you what happened, and no it doesn't involve fireworks." She said, shooting a look at Fred when he opened his mouth.

"You guys getting in trouble for stealing the car was the only thing that got the pressure off of me though, so I guess I should thank you." Fred, George and Ron had stolen the car to go free Harry from his Aunt and Uncle. Her parents had been so angry with them, they had forgotten about their talk with Jamie.

They opened their mouths to talk, but a look from Jamie silenced them.

They shrugged, Fred pulled out a package of cards, and held it up.

"Exploding snaps anyone?"

Jamie smiled, and nodded.

The next few months passed easily for Jamie, she enjoyed her classes, especially Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall was her favorite teacher, although she was hard on her students, Jamie also thought she was fair. Jamie left the classroom with her friends Alex and Jane from Gryffindor. They were discussing the Halloween feast that was taking place later that night. Jamie smiled and nodded as Jane expressed her love of the bats charmed to fly around the ceiling. Then, she heard it.

"_Rip, tear, kill." _ She stopped, and shuddered, looking around for the speaker. Jane and Alex stopped, looking at her.

"Are you alright Jamie?" Alex asked, looking at her with concern.

"Didn't you guys hear that?" She hissed in a low voice, looking around for the voice again. They looked at her as if she was insane.

"Errr… hear what Jamie?" Jane asked, looking slightly worried about her friends sanity.

Jamie shook her head, she must have imagined it.

The rest of the day past without incident, after the feast she headed up to the Gryffindor common room. She was in the front, talking to Fred and George. They turned a corner, discussing a plan to flood the bathroom near Snape's classroom when they stopped dead. Harry, Ron and Hermonie stood before them, there was writing on the wall, and Mrs. Norris lay in a heap below it.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Jamie felt a shiver run down her spine.


	10. Unknown Slytherin

Jamie thought she was going insane. She couldn't tell anyone about the voices she kept hearing, because, as the attacks progressed; she realized the voices were connected to them… some how. Jamie' s year progressed in fear. By then end of it, Jamie was a nervous wreck. The voices became more frequent, even daily.

"Would you please follow be Miss Weasly." The voice behind Jamie made her jump, she turned around to see Professor McGonagall already striding away. She came to stop at the entrance to the Headmaster's officer.

"Professor what' s–"

"The headmaster wishes to have a word with you." Her Professor said, shooting her a strange look, she murmured something to the stone griffen and walked briskly away. Jamie was confused. What had she done? She thought of the toilet seat she helped Fred and George explode on the second floor, but was that really big enough to get in trouble with the headmaster?

She walked up the stairs, and knocked on the ominous doors before her.

"Come in." The headmaster called, and Jamie entered the room, gritting her teeth for the punishment she was sure she was going to receive.

Instead, the Headmaster smiled at her, and motioned to a seat opposite his own.

"Would you like something to drink my dear?"

She shook her head. Dumbledore poured himself some tea, and spooned sugar calmly into it, sitting back and stirring the drink with eyes on her.

"Professor?"

"Yes my dear?"

"Why exactly did you call me here?"

Dumbledore sighed and put his tea down on the table. He surveyed her over his half-moon spectacles.

"Molly and Arthur have told me you found out you are adopted."

Jamie frowned, and nodded.  
"Jamie, I need to ask you a couple of very… personal questions, and I need your word that you will tell me the truth."

Jamie nodded.

"Of course."

"Jamie, do you have the ability to talk to snakes?" The question caught Jamie off guard, her eyebrows shot up and she stared at him, and then slowly nodded.

"Yes."

"How long have you known about your… ability?"

"Since I was six, Fred was playing in the field, and one tried to attack him. I told it to stop." She said. reliving the memory.

"Do you enjoy this power?"

Jamie shrugged.

"Not really… it helps if someone's about to get hurt… but I don't use it for anything other than that."

"Who else knows that you can speak to snakes?"

Jamie thought for a second.

"Just my brothers."

"All of them?"

"Expect Percy… He never was one for odd magical occurances."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Jamie, have you ever heard of a place called the chamber of secrets?"

"Just in class this year, people started talking about it after…" Her voice died, as she remembered the horrible scene on Halloween night. He nodded, realizing what she meant.

"But other than that? Have you ever gone looking for the chamber?"

Jamie looked at Dumbledore in shock.

"No! I don't want to end up in the hospital wing, or dead. Why would I go look for it?"

Dumbledore looked relived to here her say that. He sat back deep into his chair and smiled at her.

"Is that it?" She asked.

He smiled,

"that's it." She nodded to him, and got up heading for the door. When she got to it, Jamie hesitated.

She turned around, and saw Dumbledore in the exact position, looking at her curiously.

"Sir. Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask my dear, I may or may not answer, depending on the question.

She nodded.

"These questions you asked me… you haven't asked anyone else them have you."

He shook his head.

"No my dear, I have not."

"Your aren't planning to either, are you?"

He again shook his head.

"Sir, does this have anything to do with…. With my birth parents?"

Dumbledore surveyed her for a moment over his half-moon spectacles.

"Your father attended school the same time the last attacks like these occurred. "

"Could he talk to snakes?"

"I believe so, though he did not share your horror of the attacks on students, he… well lets just say he didn't think very highly of any non pure blooded students." Jamie frowned, and shook her head.

"Sir, can I ask one more thing?"

He nodded.

"Were my parents death eaters?"

He smiled to himself, and then looked at Jamie seriously.

"Your father wasn't a death eater Jamie, although he was very close to Voldemort."

Jamie shuddered at the word.

"My mother?"

"Your father was very… protective of her. Especially when she was pregnant with you."

"Did he loved her?"

Dumbledore frowned, and looked at Jamie sadly.

"I think that's enough questions for today my dear."

"Bu—"

"When you are older Jamie, if you still wish to know who your blood parents are, then we will discuss it."

"How much older?"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"You will know when you are ready to know everything, and when you are, I will be here waiting to talk."

The headmaster was right, Jamie didn't want to know everything about her past, even more so since she found out her father, her own father was pretty much a death eater. She gave Dumbledore a half smile.

"Thank you professor."

He smiled.

"You are most welcome Jamie."

With that, Jamie made her way down the stairs, and made her way to the great hall for dinner.

The next two days Jamie spent most of her time in the library studying for upcoming final exams. She sat down to have breakfast, books sprawled out on the table in front of her as she ate. Ron and Harry joined her, and distracted her with talk about quidditch. Although Jamie had been a fairly descent player, she would rather watch the game. Professor McGonagall came in, and spoke to the entire room.

"I am happy to announce that the Mandrakes are ready for harvesting, and the students in question shall be revived tonight."

Cheers went up through the hall.

Jamie smiled at Harry and Ron.

"At least Hermonie will be awake to help you pass your exams."

Ron opened his mouth to make a retort, but Ginny came in and sat down next to him, looking very upset.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" Jamie asked gently.

"I have to tell you something, its about—"

"Hello all! No out of the ordinary occurences last night." Percy said, boasting in and sitting next to Jamie, she moved away, a little appauled by his ego.

Ginny got up, and left crying.

Jamie glared at her brother, gathering her books up quickly, and running after her sister, taking care to let one of the books hit him on the back of the head as she passed.

She caught up to her in the hall.

"Ginny!" She said, scrambling her books into one arm, and grabbing her wrist.

Her sister was in hysterics. Jamie let her books drop and hugged her tightly.

"Shhhh its ok Ginny, what's wrong?"

"I didn't mean to do it!" Ginny cried.

Jamie frowned, pushing her back and looking her in the eyes.

"What did you do?"

Ginny looked away from her, not answering the question.

"Ginny!" She said, giving her sister a little shake.

"His eyes… they're just like yours." Ginny murmured, disconnected.

Jamie started.

"Just like who's? Ginny talk to me!"

Ginny shook her head.

"I can't."

Jamie frowned.

"Are you in trou—"

"What's going on out here?"

The voice came up behind Jamie, she felt the hairs on her neck stand up, she released her sister, and turned around. Looking at Snape.

She smiled sweetly.

"My sister was upset, I was just trying to help." Snape raised an eyebrow, his eyes darted back and fourth from Ginny's tear streaked face to Jamie's. An evil smile formed on his lips.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, for causing a scene Miss Weasly." He said to her sister. Ginny burst into tears again and ran off. Jamie shot a cold glare at him, and to her surprise, Snape shrank back a bit from it. She raised an eyebrow at him when he caught himself, and he swung around walking away quickly.

Jamie snorted, and gathered up her books. Going to find her sister.

She couldn't find her. She looked everywhere, but gave up at four, hoping she would see her at dinner that night, but she didn't show up. She ate dinner with a couple of friends, but every time someone came through the main doors, Jamie looked up. She went with her friends Tarrah and Nicole to the library to study. As soon as they sat down, a voice boomed overhead.  
"All students return to their houses immedietly."

Jamie and the other girls gathered their books in a hurry.

"Do you think there's been another attack?" Tracy asked, Jamie could tell she was worried.

Jamie shrugged,

"Your guess is as good as mine." She said, stuffing the last of her books into her bag.

The common room was jammed pack full of people when they arrived, everyone was talking in loud voices. Jamie said a quick goodbye, and went to see if all her family was there. She made her way through the crowd, when she heard someone calling her.

"Jamie!" Fred sighed in relief, he came over with relief on his face.

"Well at least we know our favorite sibling didn't get petrified." George said, joining them

Jamie shot him a look.

"That's a terrible thing to say!"

But she couldn't help smiling.

Her smile went away quickly though, when a thought crossed her mind.

"Have you seen Ginny?"

She asked worriedly.

"No." Fred said.

Jamie felt a knot grow in her stomach. But she didn't tell them about their missing sister, she didn't need to worry them. The next hour passed in a blur for Jamie, she kept up conversation with Fred and George, but her mind kept wandering to Ginny. She didn't see her, or Ron in the common room. Where were they?

The room went quiet all of a sudden, Jamie turned around to see Professor McGonagall standing inside the portrait.

She looked around the room,

"could Jamie, Fred, and George Weasly please come with me."

Jamie felt her stomach drop. Her legs went numb. Fred and George dragged her past the staring eyes. Jamie felt like she was going to be sick.

They ended up in the Headmaster's office. George and Fred stared around at the different artifacts. Jamie stared deep into the Headmaster's eyes.

She saw immense sadness, and pity. She fought to keep her voice steady, as she said.

"Who?"

Fred and George gave her a look of confusion, but Jamie kept staring at Dumbledore.

"Minivera, can you escort Fred and George into the hall for just a moment?"

Professor McGonagall steered the boys into the hall, shooting looks of confusion at Jamie as they went. The door shut with a click, leaving her and the Headmaster alone.

"Jamie, I must ask you again. Do you know anything about these attacks." Dumbledore said sternly.

Jamie glared at him angrily.

"You don't believe me? Do you think I attacked these students?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, but I heard that you had an argument with one of the victims today…"  
"Today?" She said, choking up.

"You mean… someone else has been attacked?"

Dumbledore nodded sadly.

"Who blamed me then? If it wasn't you?" She said, regaining some of her anger.

"I did." The voice startled her, as Snape stepped out of the shadows behind Dumbledore.

Jamie glared at him, then realized he was right, someone she was talking to had been very upset today."

Jamie felt the anger leave her, and tears form in her eyes.

"Ginny?" She barely whispered. Choking back tears.

Dumbledore nodded sadly.

"Is.. is she ok?" Jamie managed to choke out.

Dumbledore sighed, and remained silent. They stood in silence for a moment.

"Ginny has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, she's dead." Snape answered her question in a mellow tone.

Jamie burst into tears and sank to her knees.

"No! No! No! No! No!" She cried, sinking further on to the floor.

Fred and George burst into the room, hearing their sister's distress and went over to her, taking a protective position around her. Fred cradled her head.  
"Jamie what's wrong?"

"Ginny." She whispered, holding onto Fred.

She saw the realization spread across his face.

"W-w-what?" He asked shakily.

"Fred, she's gone." She whispered, breaking down again in sobs.

She saw him bite his lip, and try to hold it together. He looked up at Dumbledore.

"Is it true?" He asked in a shaky voice.

Dumbledore nodded sadly, a tear sliding down his face.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Fred and George's faces both showed the same anguish across the features. They sunk down into chair just as their parents walked into the room.

When Mrs. Weasly saw the look on her children's faces she went pale. Mr. Weasly came up behind her, and put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Albus.. whats going on?" He asked in a stern voice.

Dumbledore took on a somber look.

"Molly, Arthur, as your aware.. there have been some recent attacks on some of our students.."

Jamie saw her father's hand go pale with his grip on her mom's shoulder.

"Your daughter… I'm so sorry Albus."

She saw the realization dawn on her father and mothers face, Mrs. Weasly became very small, and tucked herself against her father.

The room was silent for a long while; full of tears, and sadness.

Jamie let the tears fall silently down her face, making no move to get up. She saw Snape glanced at her curiously at Jamie once in a while, but she was too far gone to see him.

It seemed like an eternity passed before they heard some banging coming up the stairs.

Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Lockhart in tow burst into the office. The whole room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Her mother threw herself around Ginny and wept.

All was good.

Jamie hugged Harry and Ron.

"Thank you." She whispered to them.

Harry smiled at her as she kissed him on the cheek, and Ron blushed as she thanked him. Then, she excused herself from the office.

She smiled as she headed by herself down a lone hallway.

"Having a pleasant day… Anna?"


	11. Year at the World Cup

Jamie stopped, and stood still for a second, she then turned to face Lucius Malfoy. He was wearing dark robes, had a cane in his hand, and a filthy looking house elf cowering behind him.

Jamie took in his appearance, glowering at him

"What do you want?" She snarled, balling up her fists.

Lucius raised an eyebrow, looking offended.

"I didn't think there needed to be a reason to be in your presence An—"

"Don't call me Anna." She snarled rudely at him.

She saw anger spring into his grey eyes, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, she didn't let her fear show on her face.

It looked as though Lucius was going to say something, but then the anger faded from his eyes and he smiled at Jamie. He tipped his hat towards her.

Jamie frowned in confusion.

"Until next time my dear." He turned swiftly on his heels and towards the Headmaster's office, the house elf close on his tail.

Jamie looked after him, confused by his reaction. She shook her head, and turned around, walking as quickly as she could away from the strange man.

The rest of the school year past smoothly for Jamie and blended seamlessly into summer.

Before she knew it, it was time to start her fourth year. She hadn't had any trouble from Lucius all summer, and although he nodded to her at the station when Jamie was getting on, he made no attempt to grab her or talk to her.

The year passed quietly for Jamie; the voices she kept hearing around the school had stopped all together, to her relief. Jamie spent the year focusing on her school, or plotting pranks with Fred and George, before she knew it, it was the summer.. again!

She relaxed with her family in relative peace, although half of the household couldn't stop buzzing about the upcoming quidditch cup which they had been luck enough to get tickets to!

Harry arrived the day before they were set to leave; and the next morning they made their way up to the portkey. Jamie was breathing heavily by the time she made her way up the last hill. She sat down on her muggle jeans, and looked around at the sun rising. She closed her eyes and leaned back, letting the others search for the portkey.

When they got to the match, they headed up to their seats. Jamie talked excitedly with Ginny and Hermonie about Irelands team, when she was cut off by a voice.

"Hello Anna." Lucius said silkily, looking her over with an evil smile, Jamie narrowed her eyes at him. He continued up the steps, followed by Draco and Nacrissa not saying anything more to her. Ginny frowned,

"Whose Anna?"

Jamie shook head.

"No one."

She was relieved to see they wouldn't be sitting exactly behind her, and she settle down to watch the match. It passed smoothly and in a few hours they were all sitting around one of their tents, excited from Ireland's win, and also exhausted. They retired after a quick cup of hot chocolate. Jamie fell into a deep sleep instantly.

She was shaken roughly awake only a few hours later.

She looked around at her father, dazed.

"Whats going on?" that's when she heard the shrieking outside. The sleep in her eyes vanished. She sat up straight, looking at her father with fear.

He was pale. He put a hand on her shoulder, and handed her a cloak.

"Stay with the others, keep your hood up." Jamie nodded, realizing how serious the situation was.

She pulled on the dark cloak, and hopped out of bed. She through the hood over her head as she walked out of tent, what she saw was terrifying. Death eaters. They had three muggles above their heads, and were playing with her mercilessly. Jamie stood in place, the world seemed to slow down as people ran screaming around the campsite, she watched in disgust as the death eaters laughed. They turned in her direction. She saw one of them look at her with steel grey eyes and stop. He motioned to a couple of other masked death eaters, and they swiftly began approaching her.

Jamie swore under her breath, and took off in the opposite direction, darting through the crowd. The death eaters strode more quickly towards her, parting the crowds as they came. Jamie felt fear run through her veins. She looked back to see how close they were, and tripped over a large rock. She hit the ground hard, and cracked her head on another rock. She gazed up through blurred eyes to see two sets of hands reaching down towards her, their eyes looking through the slits of their masks at her. Jamie thought about screaming, but was in too much of a daze to do so. Just as they touched her, a large green image appeared overhead. They looked at it, and Jamie saw their eyes widen with fear. The leader cursed under his breath and dragged the other man away, leaving Jamie lying on the ground; she looked up at the twisting snake, and fuzzily realized what it was, and everything went dark.


	12. Eyes wide open

Jamie drifted in and out of sleep for a while. She heard her father calling her often in her dreams, as well as another voice whispering "Anna" in her ear.

"My names not Anna." She murmured, not aware of anything but the voice.

"What?" The other sound penetrated her soft surroundings abruptly, making Jamie feel angry.

"My NAME isn't Anna!" She said loudly, sitting up. She looked around the room, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She saw Fred and George looking at her with concerned expressions.

"Jamie… are you alright?"

Jamie smiled at them, and nodded, realizing her neck was painfully stiff.

The memory of the Death eaters grabbing her came back suddenly.

"What happened? Is everyone ok?"

Fred nodded.

"Everyone's ok, 'cept you. We found you passed out with your head cracked open, after everyone had left."

"I saw them! …. And the dark mark! Everyone's ok?"

"No one died, that we know of, but the mark scared off the death eaters pretty quick." George muttered.

Jamie nodded, looking around the room, realizing she was at home, in her own bed.

She sighed, and lay back on her pillows, falling back to sleep.

Jamie spent the next few days recuperating, in bed, her mom made a huge fuss over everything. By the day they were suppose to leave for school, Jamie was frustrated by her mother's constant babying, and ready to have a break from her.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she crossed over the platform, smiling at the familiar scarlet steamer before her.

She talked for a few minutes with her family, and let her mom fuss over her one last time.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Her mom asked worriedly

Jamie rolled her eyes.

"Of course!" She said, pulling her mom into a quick hug, and picking up her trunk, she waved to her mom and dad as she boarded the train, and continued to wave from her cabin until the train drifted around the corner.

The goblet of fire chose Harry, and the tri wizard tournament began. Jamie went to the Tri Wizard ball with a boy from Beauxbatons, in his last year there, who had kindly purchased her a dress; he came from a wealthy family. His name was Alexandre, and for the first time in Jamie's life, she was actually seeing someone. Not that boys hadn't tried before, she just never found any of them intriguing enough to be more than a friend. He had dark brown hair, and light brown eyes that made Jamie melt. They spent most of their free time together. Fred and George hated him, mostly because he took away a key partner in their pranks. They teased her relentlessly about him, to the point where Jamie actually avoided them. It was the day of the final task, Jamie and Alex were sitting together in between the Hogwarts and Beauxbaton's sections. Jamie had introduced him to her parent, and could tell exactly what her father though of him by the angry glares he kept shooting in their direction. They talked most of the time, and Jamie offered apologies when Fleur emerged from the maze. They saw Krum also come out and then they waited.

"At least one of our schools is champion." Alex murmured silkily in her ear. Jamie sighed and nodded. Then, Harry appeared, Cedric was lying underneath him. Jamie got up to see over the crowd of people, and Alex began to offer his congratulations when they heard a scream.. Alex protectively put an arm around Jamie, but she jumped up on the bench. Harry was crying, people were trying to drag him off Cedric. He wasn't moving… he was.

"Dead." She whispered, a hand extending over her face in shock. Alex looked at her with concern and pulled her down.

"What?" He said probably in shock.

"He's dead." She whispered to him, starting to shake. He pulled her closer to himself. She heard the screams, and the wave of sadness around her, as people realized what had happened. She folded herself into Alexandre's arms, fighting tears as he stroked her hair and held her tight.

Jamie didn't know how long it took, but eventually they made their way back up to the castle. They parted at the hospital wing, Alex kissed her softly, and looked into her eyes.

"I will see you tomorrow?" He asked quietly.

She nodded mutely, and let go of his hands, slipping silently into the hospital wing.

When she turned around she had to stifle a scream.

She bit her lip hard.

Sirius Black.

Sirius Black was standing there… flesh and blood.

Dumbledore stood behind him, his hands extended out, showing that Jamie should remain quiet.

The murderer looked at her with angry eyes.

"Albus? Really? You don't seriously expect her to remain on our side. Her family doesn't have a loyal bone in their body." He spat at Jamie.

She frowned.

"My FAMILY is standing in this room, she said, extending a hand over to where her parents stood. Those are pretty strong words coming from a murderer." She spat back.

Sirius opened his mouth to retort.

"Enough." Dumbledore said, but his tone was final.

He turned to Sirius with an angry look.

"She doesn't know Sirius."

He raised his eyebrows, but remained silent.

Dumbledore turned to Jamie.

"Jamie, could you please go up to my office and wait for me there?"

"Is Harry ok?" Jamie said, peering at the pale boy sleeping .

"Yes my dear, he's fine. Just sleeping." She nodded,.

"Why?"

Dumbledore sighed.

"There are some things we need to discuss.. about your blood parents Anna."

Jamie frowned, nothing made sense, but she figured she would get more answers out of him if she was alone.

She nodded to him, and her parents and left the room, heading to the Headmaster's office.

She paced back and fourth for what seemed like hours. Waiting.

Finally, the door opened.

Dumbledore came in, and sat down at his desk. Jamie sat down in the chair opposite him. He looked at her, and Jamie could see a deep sadness.

"Jamie.." He started.

"Jamie, I'm quite sure you are not ready to hear this, but unfortunately, circumstances have made it impossible for me to wait with this information. Jamie frowned, not sure what he meant.

He sat up straight, and folded his hands across the desk.

"Tonight, Voldemort returned to power. He has regained a body, and will soon be building an army. The second war is almost upon us." Jamie gripped her chair until her knuckle turned white.

"Are… are you sure?" She asked, fear welling up and threatening to choke her.

Dumbledore nodded sadly.

"Jamie, that is unfortunately not the only bad news I must deliver tonight. Jamie, when I took you 15 years ago, I feared for your life, for your soul. I wanted a better life than your birth parents had planned for you, and so I kidnapped you."

Jamie's eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

"Jamie… your father… is a very evil man. Maybe one of the most evil wizard's who has ever lived. You could not help but be influenced by him if you were a young child. I wanted to give you a chance at a better life. I want you to understand that."

Jamie realized what he was saying, but it couldn't be true.

"No." She said shakily,

"No." She said more firmly.

"No." Jamie said, getting up from her chair, feeling anger seep through her veins.

"Your lying it's not… it's not possible!" She cried, but her mind was running through all her past encounters. Lucius, the death eaters, Sirius.

She stood in spot, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Jamie… you father is Lord Voldemort."

She felt a shudder run through her body at the name. She felt emotion run through her, and didn't know whether she was ready to pass out, or run from the room. She took a moment to gather herself.

"What do you think I should do?" She choked out.

Dumbledore gave her a curious look.

"Well, I see two options for you my dear. One, you go to the Malfoy Manor at the end of the term, and risk never being able to come back to school, see your friend, your family, but you would escape the rath of your father. Two, you fight, and I will help you as long as I can. We will offer you protection. Either way, your father will be looking for you, I'm not sure if you can escape meeting him all together, but you can try."

"He's not my father. Arthur is." Jamie murmured. Dumbledore nodded, looking pleased at her decision.

A knock came at the door a moment later. Sirius entered smoothly, and shut it, glaring at Jamie.

"Now, Sirius will take you to the head quarters of the order of the phoenix." Dumbledore said lighting the fireplace with his wand and taking a jar of floo powder.

"Your exams will be taken care of. The most important thing is that we get you out of here safely before Voldemort learns of your location. The Weasly's will be joining you once school lets out for the term."

He offered the jar to Jamie, and she hesitated.

"You can't expect me to go off with a know death eater right now?"

Sirius snorted next to her, and Jamie shot a glare at him.

"Sirius is innocent, I know you will be safe with him." Dumbledore gave Sirius a meaningful glance.

Jamie took a handful of the powder. Sirius brushed up against her, and grabbed a handful for himself.

She entered the fireplace first. She dropped the powder as Dumbledore murmured something. Then, she was spinning, just like her life was spinning out of control.


	13. Dreams in Blood

Jamie landed in a dark, abandoned looking room. Cobwebs covered everything in the room; except the fireplace she had just stepped out of. Sirius emerged behind her, she shot him a disgusted look.

"You live here?"

"Yes, and you do too." He said, sounding very irritated. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know, I can't control my genetics, or who created me. I didn't choose this life." She said bitterly.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess your right, I wasn't born into the most cheerful family myself." He said with a dark chuckle.

"My brother; actually worked for your dad."

Jamie's eyebrows shot up.

"But you don't?" She asked.

He frowned deeply and shook his head.

"No, I work against him."

Jamie nodded, an awkward silence passed between them. Jamie walked around the room, fingering the bookshelves that lined the wall.

"What side are you on?" He said suddenly, breaking the heavy silence. Jamie stopped, and turned to him.

"The same side as my family." He frowned.

She sighed, realizing how that must have sounded.

"The same side as my adopted family." Jamie said, accenting the word adopted heavily. He nodded.

"Why?"

It was Jamie's turn to be confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you against Voldemort?" Jamie sighed.

"Because, I want to stay with my family. Just because he shares my blood, doesn't mean I belong to him." She pointed to the crest on her Hogwarts cloak, which bore the red and gold lion of Gryffindor.

"I'm a Weasly at heart. I would die to protect any one of my family." She said, fire shining in her eyes.

Sirius examined her for a moment, then nodded.

"I believe you would." He said, extending a hand out to her. Jamie grasped it, and shook it firmly. They may not have been best friends, but at least now they could be civil with each other.

Sirius showed Jamie to a large bedroom; it contained a single bed that looked as though it had not been slept in since the 70's, a large dresser, and a bookself.

"Dumbledore said he would send over your trunks in the morning, for now.. I guess what your wearing will have to suffice."

Jamie nodded.

"Bathroom's down the hall.." He said pointing in the general direction of it.

He hesitated.

"I think that's it. I'll see you tomorrow." He said, shutting the door behind him as he went.

Jamie's dreams were restless that night. In all of them, she was in a large room, playing by a fireplace with a man. _She realized she was just an infant, from the cooing noises he was making, and her lack of mobility._

"_Anna.." he cooed, playing with a string of her hair. A giggle of happiness bubbled from Jamie's mouth unexpectedly. The man looked like her, with his wavy dark hair and pale blue eyes. His age, only given away by the faint crease lines around his eyes._

"_Anna…" He cooed again. Jamie felt safe with him. But something felt off, what was it?_

"_Anna.." He whispered into her ear, making her realize exactly what was wrong._

"_My name isn't Anna." She tried to say, but only bubbles came out of her mouth._

"_My name isn't Anna!" She tried a little more forcefully. She only managed to make a little bit of noise that sounded like a baby._

"_MY NAME ISN"T ANNA!" She screamed, trying to get away from the man. He easily lifted her up, and before her eyes, transformed into a pale, hairless man with slits for a nose and blood red eyes. He laughed cruelly as she tried to thrash out of his grasp, but he held her firm. He pulled her closer, and whispered in her ear._

"_I'll be waiting for you… Anna" He murmured._

Jamie woke with a blood-curdling scream. Once she realized she was no longer in the grasps of the man, she broke down crying. Sirius bolted into the room a second later, armed with his wand, but still in his nightclothes. When he saw Jamie curled up on the bed, shaking and crying, he lowered his wand and came over quickly to her.

"Jamie what's wrong?" He said, placing a hand on her back to calm her.

"I saw him…" She whispered, scared that if she spoke too loud, the man from her dreams would hear.

Sirius's eye opened wide.

"You saw him? Here?" He took a quick gaze around the room, but found nothing out of place.

Jamie shook her head.

"No, in my dreams… I can't escape him…" She broke down crying again. Sirius cradled her in his arms.

"Shhh Jamie, it's alright. Your safe now." He stroked her hair, and murmured reassurances in her ear. Jamie fell asleep in his lap, but her father never re-entered her dreams that night.

Jamie woke up late the next morning. Sirius had left the room, but she could hear movement in the floors before.

She got up, and flattened her hair with her hands before descending the stairs.

Jamie heard voices from the kitchen.

"I've never seen anything like it Albus, she was terrified." Jamie stopped, realizing that they were talking about her, but a creak in the old floorboards gave her away. The two me stopped talking abruptly. Jamie sighed, and walked through the door to the kitchen. She plastered on a fake smile and nodded to the two men, taking a seat opposite from her headmaster.

"Morning. " She said as cheerful as she could be, trying not to make it seem as though she had hear part of their conversation. Sirius and Albus exchanged a look, then Albus looked at Jamie seriously.

"Jamie, I heard you had a dream about your father last night."  
"Yah, but it was just a dream." She said, avoiding Sirius's gaze.

Albus raised his eyebrows.

"It was quite a dream, from what Sirius tells me." Jamie nodded, averting her gaze. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Jamie… could you tell me about your dream?"

Jamie shuddered, remembering the hands that had wrapped around her.

The men looked at her with worry, but Jamie began,

"I was a small child, in a large room. I was playing with a man who called me Anna. He was nice, and I felt safe around him. But it also seemed strange to me, but I couldn't tell why, until I began to realize that my name wasn't Anna. I tried to tell him, but I couldn't, on my third attempt…" Jamie shuddered, remembering the glowing red eyes.

"On my third attempt he pick me up, like I was only a baby. His face changed…. He looked like a snake.." Jamie shuddered.

"I tried to get away, but I couldn't. He laughed at me, and said he was waiting for me."

Jamie slunk back against her chair, exhausted from having relived the night before.

Dumbledore surveyed her with concerned eyes.

"What does it mean Albus? Does he know where she is?"

"No.. I don't believe he does. I believe he is using their shared blood to connect with Jamie when her mind is at it's weakest, which would be during sleep. He is using this connection in an attempt to scare Jamie into going back to him." Jamie squirmed in her seat feeling trapped.

"What can I do… to stop it?"

"Oh it is actually quite simple my dear, I can put a block on your blood, so that if he tries to enter your dreams, or control you in any way, he will find himself unable to do so. Adopted children often have this done to them at a young age, just incase the blood parent tried to contact them. But I never considered that he would attempt it.. I apologize Jamie."

She nodded. He reached into his cloak, and pulled out a small bottle.

"When Sirius contacted me this morning, I had a feeling that it had something to do with this, so I came prepared." He held out the small vial to Jamie.

She took it, and pulled the cap off, draining the foul liquid. She gagged a bit as the slimy liquid made its way down her throat.

Dumbledore smiled at her, and got up.

"I think that's all for now. Your trunks will arrive later today." He nodded towards Sirius and headed towards the fireplace, disappearing in the flames moments later.

Sirius go up, and walked over to the cupboard.  
"Well, I guess its bread and peanut butter for breakfast he said, looking into the almost bear cupboard. He tossed the loaf at the table, as well as the peanut butter that Jamie caught and set gently on the table. He sat next to her, with a knife in hand, and began to lather the bread in peanut butter.

"Thank you." She murmured, making him stop, and look at her.

"For what?" He asked, with his head tilted to the side like a dog.

"For last night…" she said, calmly grabbing the knife from him and spreading peanut butter over her own piece. She saw his face redden a bit, but he said nothing.

They ate in silence.


	14. Sirius's Story

Authors note:

Hey everyone! Thank you for all your reviews and the interest you have shown in the story! Now, here's where I need your help: I am flipping between introducing a love interest for Jamie or not… I won't say which character would be involved, just that in line with the books (and J.K's notes on the character's lives after the end of the series) that no one's love would be lost to Jamie… but I would like some feedback to see if readers would like to see some romance in this or not. Sorry for bad grammar/spelling in the last couple of chapters. I uploaded/published them before I re-read them, and was too lazy to fix the mistakes..

Anyways thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story.

J.R

P.S.- a warning to any younger readers: in about four or five chapters the rating for this will increase to mature… so I strong suggest you avoid the chapters that I will put a warning at the top of.

There is a minor warning to this chapter, suicide and rape are mentioned briefly.

* * *

The day passed quietly in the house, Jamie spent much of the time exploring the strange rooms in the house; she spent much of her time examining the books on the shelves that she found in almost every room. They all seemed to be related to the dark arts… in some form or another. It was obvious, after the third room Jamie had come across, that this house had formally been inhabited by dark wizards, who most likely supported her father; the thought made Jamie's skin crawl. To think, that in the very spot she stood, a murderer might have been raised.

The dark thought was interrupted by a cough at the door. She gave herself a mental shake, and turned to Sirius.

"There's something I want to show you.." He said, standing in the doorway. Jamie walked up to him curiously, and he led her down the hall, to a room with a large tapestry on one wall. He stopped, and stood facing it. Jamie looked more closely, and saw an intricate web of a family tree. She saw the Malfoy's, the Lestrange's, the Black's, and many other prominent pure blooded family's, most of which Jamie knew were devoted to her father.

Sirius pointed to a small burned patch next to Regulus Black.

"My name use to be there." He said, looking at the tapestry with mingled disgust and pity.

Jamie raised her eyebrows.

"Really? What did you do?"

Sirius smiled.

"Well, it was rather a number of things that happened. I was a Gryffindor, I hung out with the Potters, but mostly, it was the fact that I didn't believe that muggles were any less superior, and did not wish to make a career out of killing them." He said, Jamie could sense a bitter tone in his voice.

"Why are you showing me this?" She asked cautiously, it seemed to her that his past was a 'touchy' subject at best.

"I guess I wanted you to know, we're more alike than you think." He said, smiling a bit at her.

"Our families are very… different from us. I thought that knowing you're not the only one who didn't fit their parents expectations, would be a bit of a relief." Sirius shifted uncomfortably, Jamie could tell he wasn't use to these types of conversations. She smiled kindly at him.

"Thanks."

After dinner, Jamie and Sirius sat in the large family room. Sirius was seated in a large, over stuffed chair, whereas Jamie was lying on a rug in front of the large fireplace that danced with flames and crackled with wood. She watched the fire for a while, silent as Sirius read one of his books.

It was peaceful lying there, Jamie sighed and lay her head down on her arms, her eyelids drooping in the warmth.

"I wonder sometimes…" She said, her voice sounded drowsy from the warmth.

"I wonder… I've heard so much about my father… but nothing about my mother. I wonder who she was."

She saw Sirius stiffen in the chair from the corner of her eye. She sat up quickly, looking at him. He continued to gaze at the book, as though he didn't hear her question. But his eyes weren't moving.

"You knew her?" Jamie asked anxiously. Sirius fidgeted in his chair, avoiding her gaze.

"Well?" She asked impatiently.

Sirius sighed, and put his book on the arm of the chair, laying it face down to save his page. He looked at Jamie for a moment, when she made eye contact he looked quickly away.

"Yes, I knew her."

"How?" Jamie demanded.

He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.  
"It's a long story."  
"Well, what else are we going to do?" Jamie said quickly.

He shot her a look, and stared down at his hands.

"It was back when we were in school… Taryn was in my year, and was in Ravenclaw. She was beautiful. You have her nose, and her smile." He said, smiling at the memory.

"She was a good student, graduated from school with no problems, and went in to be an Auror. She was a great witch, and was bringing in Death Eaters left and right, she was basically the cover girl for Aurors; she was beautiful, and brilliant, exactly what they needed during that time. Life was going good for her, until…" He stopped, a painful look on his face.

"Until, she was interviewed by one of the Daily Prophet's reporters, about her recent capture of a rather big death eater. She slipped up, and publically invited Voldemort to take her on. He did, of course, the day the paper was published."

Sirius rolled up his sleeve, showing Jamie a long scar that ran down it.

"We were having lunch… when he came up to our table. The restaurant erupted in chaos; death eaters jumped out from all four tables around us. I fought along side her for a long time, but when the dust cleared, she was gone." Jamie saw a tear slide down his cheek.

"Did you love her?" She whispered, looking sadly at the man. Sirius reached up into his shirt, and pulled out a ring on a chain. It shone dully in the light, except for a sparkling diamond that sat in the center.

"I planned to ask her to marry me that day." He said, letting tears fall into his lap.

"But Voldemort had different plans…" He said darkly.

"He made an example of her… to show his power. He wanted to break her, to make her a Death eater. Taryn never gave in; she fought him tooth and nail, swearing she would die before she joined him. He finally realized there was only one way he would have complete control over her… a child." Sirius spat the last words out, his fists clenching. Jamie flinched away from him, realizing she was the child he was talking about.

He saw her reaction, and relaxed his hands, holding them in his lap.

"He raped her… repeatedly; until she got pregnant with you. Then he shut her away, no one knew where her took her, only that she was very well guarded, and hidden. I looked for her… for nine months." He said bitterly.

"After you were born, she realized she would never be free of him, and that in time; she would only grow more attached to you, and he would use you to make her do his bidding...

She killed herself."

He said with a final tone to his voice. Jamie looked at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. He glared at her, for the first time, Jamie felt she deserved it.

"I'm sorry…" She said, getting up and walking out of the room.

Jamie was dimly aware of walking to her room, and shutting the door. She lay down on the bed, and sobbed into her pillow. She was a product of hate. No one had loved her, had wanted her. She was just an object. She cried silently through the night, feeling more alone than she ever had. Eventually, when signs of dawn began to creep up the side of the dusty window, Jamie fell into sleep, exhausted.


	15. Not what I wanted

Jamie was woken up by the sun that came through a dusty window. She groaned and rolled over, making no attempt to get up. Jamie's head throbbed from her crying last night. She felt empty, like there was no reason to get up. She closed her eyes, and drifted back to sleep. She awoke later when Sirius gave her a shake.

"Are you getting up anytime today?" He asked. Jamie kept her eyes down, unable to look at the man that she had caused so much pain unintentionally.

"No." She murmured, twisting away from him and shutting her eyes. She heard him sigh in frustration, and stormed out of the room. Jamie sighed, and tried to sleep again.

The next few days passed in a haze; Jamie drifted in and out of sleep, never making any move to get out of bed. There was no light left in the world. Her eyes lost their spark and she looked as though she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. Sirius's expression went from angry, to anxious, and on the third day, afraid. She lay facing towards the window, staring blankly at the dust particles that danced in and out of the strips of light. Sirius opened the door quietly; Jamie made no attempt to look up at him. He came over to her, holding a tray.

"Jamie, you have to eat something… It's been three days." He said softly, as if afraid to upset her. She held out a hand towards the light, watching as the warm rays fell across her pale fingers.

"I'm not hungry." She said, sounding distant.

Sirius sighed, and placed the tray on the table next to her, crossing back across the room and shutting the door with a click as he exited the room. Jamie looked at the food blankly, rolled to face away from it, and falling into a dreamless sleep.

She woke then next day, as someone sat down on her bed. She looked over her shoulder, expecting to see Sirius; but instead Dumbledore sat there, looking at her with concern.

She sighed, and lay her head back down, facing away from him.

"Jamie, it's time to get up." He said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Jamie said nothing in return, closing her eyes and wishing he would leave her be.

"Jamie." He said gently, shaking her shoulder gently.

"Why?" Jamie said, tears springing up in her eyes.

"Because, you need to move on. It's not your fault… what your father did to your mother… you can't blame yourself."

"Why not?" She choked out.

"I'm a mistake… I was never wanted. My mother killed herself to get away from me." She sobbed.

He squeezed her gently.

"Jamie, she didn't kill herself because she hated you, she killed herself because of the horrible things that happened to her."

"I hate him." She choked out, clenching her teeth in anger.

"I know Jamie…"

"He expects me to lie down for him, like a dog. I would rather die." She spat, sitting up, shaking in anger. Dumbledore put a hand to her back to steady her. They sat in silence for a few moments as Jamie calmed down from her sudden anger.

"Jamie…" Dumbledore said softly.

"You are loved… by Molly and Arthur. They are very worried about you.. they sent you these." Dumbledore pulled out two letters, and set them on the bed. He smiled, and pulled out five other letters.

"These... on the other hand; are from various brothers."

"Do they know?" Jamie asked, wondering about her adopted family for the first time in three days.

"Only if they are of age… Ron, Ginny, and Percy do not know." Jamie opened her mouth to ask about Percy, but Dumbledore put a hand up to silence her.

"Another time Jamie. Right now what I am most concerned about, is getting you out of this bed." He got up, and offered her a hand, which she took. She got out of bed weakly, letting Dumbledore support her. He waved his wand, and Jamie squirmed as her robes were cleaned, and herself while they were still on her. She shot a look at the headmaster, and he chuckled.

They started down the stairs slowly, eventually ending up in the kitchen, where Dumbledore directed her to a chair, and forced a blue liquid into her hand.

"Drink it." He said.

Jamie obeyed, not sure that she had any sort of choice in the matter. She felt warmth spread through her veins, and a bit of her strength return.

He nodded in approval, looking at her with relief.  
"I think Sirius can manage to keep you up and about now… at least for a couple days, until your parents arrive."

Jamie looked at him.

"They're coming here?"

"Yes, they shall arrive shortly after being seen in public, escorting their four school age children from the train."

Jamie nodded; realizing that the public display would show that Jamie, or Anna in this case, had left her adoptive family, and was therefore either at the school, or already in hiding.

"Until then, I would suggest you refrain from spending all of your time in bed, unless you want Molly hovering over you, like an oversized shadow when she gets here." He chuckled, seeing Jamie's expression.

"I thought so." Dumbledore smiled at her, and got up.

"I have to leave you now Jamie. Promise me you'll eat something." She got up politely and nodded. He gave a quick nod of approval.

"I shall see you in a couple of weeks." He said, exiting the door. Sirius entered a few moments after he left, looking relieved to see her up.

Jamie stared at her hands, ashamed to look at her mother's love.

"Jamie…" He said, coming over and lifting her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I don't blame you for what happened. It wasn't you fault!"

"You loved her…" Jamie choked out..

"and I took away any chance of your happiness with her." She sobbed, tears falling again onto her face.

"Jamie, stop." He said firmly, brushing the tears away from her face.

"It wasn't your fault, you couldn't help being created." He said with a small chuckle, making it sound ridiculous. She gave a small smile, and a giggle.

"Well, its true!" He scoffed. Laughing openly now.

Jamie laughed too… it was true; she couldn't stop herself from being created! What a silly thought! They laughed together for a moment; Sirius got up, grabbing the same loaf of bread as before, and throwing the peanut butter at her. They talked about everything, and anything as they ate. Any past tension between them was gone with the knowing of their sad connection.

Jamie realized she actually like Sirius. It was like having another, more rambunctious father around. They talked about school, about their own hopes and dreams, and his ability to transform into a dog.

"I think it would be fascinating to be an Animagus!" She said, as he demonstrated changing back and fourth for her.

"It is..." He said with a wolfish grin.

"It helped up get out of a lot of trouble at Hogwarts." He chuckled, reminiscing.

Jamie smiled at him, and pulled the book she had been reading back towards herself.

"What is that?" He asked, coming over, and attempting to take the book from her.

"Nothing…." She said, shielding the book from his grasp.

"Jamie…" He said, exactly like her father when she was doing something naughty.

She sighed, and held the book out to him.

"The rise and fall or the dark arts?" He questioned.

"Yes." She said, snatching the book back from him.

"Why?"

"Because…. I wanted to be prepared incase I ever meet him.." She said stiffly.

"Oh.." he said, sitting in the chair next to her.

The silence between them was awkward, so Jamie shifted back to her book, trying to find any reference to You-Know-Who.

"I never thought I would actually want to no information about him three weeks ago" She snorted.

"Who exactly did you think your father was? Before you found out?"

Jamie shrugged.

"I guess I thought he was someone who was good at heart, but forced to do my You-Know-Who's bidding… I always pictured him in love with my mom." She said, realizing how much the truth clashed with her fantasy.

"I always hoped they gave me away because they wanted me to be safe from You-Know-Who."

"You know, you should really start calling Voldemort by his name." Sirius said.

"Old habits I guess… but your right. I guess I should be able to call him by his name, if I ever meet him." She murmured, a shiver running down her back.

Sirius nodded.

"Charlie asked me to visit him… in his letter." She said, trying to divert the topic.

"Oh?"

"I think I'm going to go. It'll be more fun then hanging around the house, getting pity looks from everyone I come across."

Sirius chuckled.

"I know how you feel…"

Jamie sighed.

"I doubt Dumbledore would let me go."

"Your of age now, aren't you? No one can stop you if you want to go." Sirius said.

"But I do suggest you go before your parents get here… I doubt Molly would let you leave, to go and spend the summer fighting Dragons." He said.

Jamie nodded.

"Can I borrow your owl?"

He nodded.

"It's upstairs; help yourself."

"Thanks!" Jamie said, getting up and setting her book down on the side table before heading out of the room.

"Jamie." Sirius called, as she opened the door, she spun around to face him.

"If anyone asks… I had no idea you were planning to do this. I don't wish to face the rath of your mother and Dumbledore; I'll leave that up to you."

Jamie smiled.

"What plan?"

He returned the smile, and she slipped upstairs, quickly writing on a piece of parchment.

When can you come?

J

She tied it to the owl's leg, and he took off into the night. Jamie smiled to herself, excited for the first time since the night of the last Tri-wizard tournament phase.


	16. I Know So

Charlie sent a letter to her the next day.

I will be there tomorrow night, at midnight.

Charlie

Jamie bounced down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Sirius looked up from his paper, surveyed her for a moment, then continued to read.  
"I don't want to know."

Jamie shrugged, going over to the cupboard. Peanut butter again, or tuna… Jamie pulled the peanut butter out, and grabbed a spoon.

She sat down with a thump beside Sirius.

"You don't want to know about what?"

He cocked an eyebrow, but didn't take his eyes off the paper.

"Exactly." Jamie frowned; it was obvious that was going to be the only conversation she would get out him. SO she grabbed the peanut butter, and went to the dusty living room, curling up in the same chair as the night before, and pulling out her book. She spent the majority of the morning reading about deaths her father had caused. Each one seemed to get progressively more violent. Murdered. Blown to pieces. Tortured, and then torn apart. Jamie put the book down after a rather disturbing description of someone being torn apart. She looked at the clock… noon. She sighed, and got up, going back to the kitchen and putting the peanut butter away. Sirius came in through the door, and busied himself with the dishes.

"I'm bored." Jamie said, looking at him. He eyed her as he continued to do the dishes.

"Well. You could help with the dishes." He said calmly, washing a plate.

Jamie rolled her eyes.

"I want to go out… to get something to eat besides peanut butter, or tuna. She made a face when she mentioned the fish. She had never been a fan of tuna.

"You can't, Dumbledore's orders." He said bluntly.

"So now I'm a prisoner here?" Jamie said, crossing her arms across her chest. Sirius sighed, and put down the dish, drying off his hands and turning to face her.

"Well not in the technical sense of the word. But he wishes very strongly for you to stay here… and I was told to keep you here." He said. Looking at her.

"But if I leave with Char–"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sirius said, leaving the room.

Jamie glared after him in frustration.

She sighed, and finished the dishes he had left, taking time to clean each one of them spotless.

She sighed and reluctantly put the last dish away… She put her hands on her hips, and looked around the room… The next couple days were going to be boring, to say the least.

Jamie was right they were boring. By the time 11:30pm rolled around the next night, Jamie was ready to claw her eyes out with boredom. She didn't know how Sirius was living like this. She was more than relieved when Charlie appeared next to her window, flying on a broom.

She shoved it open, smiling at her brother.

She tossed her bag out the window, and put a note on the table next to the bed, explaining to her parents where she was. Then she climbed out on to the other broomstick he had, and they took off into the night.

When they landed in Romania, the sun was setting.

Jamie jumped off the broom, feeling more awake than she had in the past week, excitement and adrenaline flowing through her veins.

Charlie landed next to her, looking quite the opposite.

She bounced along beside him as he trudged through the campsite, eventually stopping at a small tent.

"This is mine…" He said, stepping into the entrance. Jamie followed, looking around he magically enlarged room.

Even though it was a rather large room she stood in, it felt small with all the clutter Charlie had.

There were books, clothes, and other items stacked un-orderly everywhere. Jamie smiled, it reminded her of the burrow, of home.

"Here." Charlie said, tossing her a blanket and pillow.

"Just clear some stuff off the couch, you can sleep there." He mumbled sleepily, not looking back at her as he dragged himself through a door at the far end of the tent and shutting it with a bang. Jamie was use to her elder brother's cranky behavior when he didn't get enough sleep, so she brushed some stuff off the couch, and lay down shutting her eyes and praying that she would fall asleep.

The next thing she knew, Charlie was gently shaking her on the bed.

She opened her eyes sleepily, not realizing for a moment where she was. When she saw Charlie in front of her though she grabbed him and hugged him tight. Charlie made a grunt of protest, and Jamie let go of him, grinning.

"Sorry, you have no idea how exciting it is to be out of that house!"

He gave a small smile back, ruffling her hair.

"It's ok sis, I bet I'd feel the same if someone lock me away in a house."

Jamie swung her feet over the couch's edge, and stretched.

"So, what are we doing today?"

"I'm going to go deal with a rather rude Hornback… you on the other hand will have to fend for yourself, I'm sure you can find something to do."

Jamie shot him a glare.

"So you just brought me here to abandon me?" She said, sounding hurt.

"No… I brought you here because I believed that you would rather be able to at least go outside, rather than hide in some dusty old house."

Charlie said, pulling on a pair of thick gloves.

Jamie shot him a dirty look, knowing he was right. Although she had hoped to spend time with him, she didn't expect him to change his life for her...

Don't worry, we'll spend some time together in the afternoon's, I just have to work most mornings…" He said, as if reading her mind. Jamie nodded to him. Charlie moved to the entrance of the tent, he paused, looking back at her.

"You should go and meet the rest of the crew... they should be having breakfast in the main hall. I'm sure you can find it." He said, with a little smirk, leaving the tent.

Jamie got up, and took the time to make sure she looked fairly decent, and then she headed off in search of the 'main' tent.

It wasn't hard to find. The large tent toward high over the other single tents, creating a large shadow over the majority of them.

She brushed away the opening to the tent, looking around. It appeared to be a large reck hall; with tables lined up in rows. There was food on each of the tables. Conversation rumbled through the room, filled with laughs and loud voices. She saw an empty spot at one of them and sat down. The men around her looked like they had spent most of their lives outdoors. Their skin looked like tan leather, and they all had many burns/scars. They were much larger than she had been expecting.

"Hello." A gruff voice came from across the table. Jamie looked at the scruffy man.

"Hi." She said, dishing up eggs on her plate.

"I don't believe we've met." He said, once again attempting to engage her in conversation.

Jamie chewed a mouthful of her food, and looked at him

"That's because we haven't." She said.

The man chuckled.

"Names Duggard Finnagan. You can call me Doug." He said, sticking out a hand across the table to her.

Jamie dropped her fork, and shook his hand.

"Jamie Weasly." She said politely.

"Ahh, so you're the sister he mentioned was coming." Doug said loudly.

Some of the men looked over curiously at the two of them.

"This is Charlie's sister men! Ain't she a looker! Nothing like her brother." The men surrounding her let out a laugh, looking admirably at Jamie.  
Jamie felt herself blush in embarrassment.

"Ahh, don't worry lass. The man means it as a compliment. Though I must say, you were lucky to escape that red hair, how did you manage that exactly? All of the Weasly's i've met have locks the color of fire." The man next to her asked.

Jamie felt a knot form in her stomach, she knew exactly why they were different.

She pushed her chair away from the table and got up.

"If you will excuse me gentlemen…" She said stiffly.

"Aww don't be offended lass; he meant it as a compliment." Doug said.

Jamie shrugged.

"I don't know what your talking about.. I'm just finished eating, and see no reason to remain and let you interrogate me." She said rudely, turning away and heading back to her tent.

Jamie paced back and fourth, it had been a mistake to come. At least in the house no one could possibly suspect her adoption, mainly because they knew.

Charlie entered a few hours later, looking slightly singed. He frowned.

"You're here?"

Jamie stopped pacing, and looked at him.

"Charlie, it was a mistake coming here… I have to leave." Jamie said anxiously.

"Why? What happened?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

Jamie sat down on the couch.

"Nothing… I just don't think it's a good idea being here."

"Jamie…" He said, knowing instinctively there was something else.

She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair, holding up a black lock.

"This… me…. They know something's different. People will talk… word will get out."

Jamie said sullenly.

Charlie looked at her for a moment, and burst out laughing.

Jamie frowned at him.

"What's so funny?"

He looked at her.

"Seriously Jamie? You really think that a bunch of dragon keeper's would be smart enough to put the dots together? They just comment on your hair because that was their way of flirting… Jamie, seriously; some of these men haven't seen a woman for years… and probably even more time than that for someone as pretty as you." He said, blushing slightly at the last words.

"You think so?" She asked quietly, looking at her hands as she twisted them together.

He came over to her, and pushed her chin up; looking at her in the eyes.

"I know so." He said firmly. Jamie saw something stir in the depths of his blue eyes. He looked away quickly, and walked away from her. Jamie looked after him curiously. Had he really been thinking what she had just thought he had?


	17. Love & Law

No. He couldn't have been… could he? He was her brother for Merlin's sake! He couldn't possibly think of her like that.  
Jamie shook her scattered thoughts to the back of her mind. She couldn't deal with any more weirdness right now.

She composed her face, and went to her brother's room, where he had retreated. She knocked on the door.

"Charlie?" She asked like a question. He didn't answer. Jamie frowned, knocking harder on the door.

"Charlie, open up! What's gotten into you?"

"You know exactly what has gotten into him." A small voice said in the back of her brain. She pushed the thought away, pounding both her fists on the door.

"Charlie, if you don't open this door, I'll blast it open!" She said firmly. She heard him grumble something, and shift around the room, pulling open the door a second later.

"What?" He nearly snarled at her.

Jamie raised her eyebrows, and shot him an angry look.

"What do you mean what? You just got up and stormed off, like an idiot, in the middle of our conversation." Jamie said, ignoring the look he had gave her.

Charlie glared at her a moment, then shrugged.

Jamie could feel her anger building.

"Fine. If this is how you are going to be, I'm leaving. It was more fun sitting around that horrible house with Sirius!" Jamie said, storming back into the living room, and grabbing her still packed bag and a broom. She was in the entrance when she felt a firm hand grab her.

She turned around to make a retort at him, but was cut off by his lips joining hers. Jamie tensed up in shock. Was she really kissing her brother?

Then she realized something even more shocking… she was enjoying it. She dropped her bags, and the broomstick, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Charlie was the first to pull back, just as Jamie's lungs were beginning to burn. Her breath came in gasps, as did his. He looked her in the eyes, tenderly putting a hand up to cup her face. Then without a word, brought their lips to meet again. Jamie tangled her hands in his hair; Charlie' s arms pulled her tighter into him. When they had both run out of breath again, Jamie wiggled herself out of his arms, and sat on the couch to steady her pounding heart. The silence between them seemed unending. Charlie turned to face her, but made no attempt to come and sit on the couch.

"This is wrong." Jamie croaked finally, looking up at him.

"Then why does it feel so right?" He whispered; Jamie could see the same look in his eyes as before. Love. Lust. She didn't know.

Jamie shook her head, running a hand through her hair.

"Well, it's not like were related." Charlie said.

"But you're my brother." Jamie said, emphasizing the last word.

"Well adopted brother technically…"

Jamie shot him an angry look; he held his hands out to stop her from retorting.

"But, we're 6 years apart. We never really grew up as brother and sister. I was already at school by the time you could carry on any sort of conversation, and left before you started."

He did have a point. They were merely brother and sister by name… they had never spent enough time together to have a strong bond… until now.

Jamie looked deep into his eyes; she could see fear of rejection, but also a fire that burned deep within them. Her stomach did a somersault looking at him. She got up, and walked over to him, tracing the shape of his face lightly with her finger. Then, she kissed him.

Things improved dramatically for Jamie after that. Charlie and her spent much of their time together, going to little towns near the camp, spending time with the men, Charlie even showed her a couple of dragons she hadn't seen at the Tri Wizard tournament.

"I could get use to this." Jamie sighed a couple of weeks later, snuggling up against Charlie's bare chest. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair.

"So could I." He murmured huskily in her ear.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands running through her hair.

"How are we going to tell everyone?" Jamie said conversationally, trying not to upset him.

Charlie made a grunting noise, and tensed underneath her.

"Do we have to?"  
Jamie pulled herself out of his grasp, and propped herself up on her elbows.

"Well unless we intend on ending this in 6 weeks, I have to go back to school."

Charlie groaned, putting a hand to his head.

"I totally forgot about school. Man you're young." He said, smirking. Jamie hit him playfully on the arm.

"Hey! I'm not that young." Jamie said, pretending to sulk. He chuckled, and leaned down, kissing her hard on the lips, making her forget all about telling everyone. Things began to get heated, and Charlie flipped on top of her. Jamie's breath was coming in short gasps; he looked down at her hungrily, slowly lowering himself when… a knock at Charlie's open bedroom door startled them. Charlie flipped over in the bed, pulling his wand from on top of the dresser and pointing it at the intruder.

It was Dumbledore.

Jamie blushed deeply when she saw the look on his face, pulling the covers up as high as they could go.

She could hear Charlie's breath leave him in a giant swoosh, the silence that filled the air could be cut with a knife.

"I will give you two a moment to compose yourselves…" Dumbledore said conversationally.

"I'll be in the living room."

In a few minutes, Jamie and Charlie emerged single file into the living room taking different seats.

Dumbledore was sitting there looking very unconcerned.

"Well, I must say, I was a bit surprised to find you two in that position today. You don't plan to tell your mother I suppose?" Both of them avoided his gaze, Jamie blushed deeply. Dumbledore chuckled.

"I thought so."

"Well… the reason I came here was not in fact to interrupt young love. I have two reasons actually. The first matter, being with Jamie."

Dumbledore pulled out a letter, and handed it to her. Jamie took it, looking at it curiously.

"It's from the ministry of magic." Dumbledore said.

"It seems… Tom Riddle, better known as your father's will has been found… it seems that in the event of his death or disappearance, he has in trusted the care of you to one Lucius Malfoy. There is a hearing in three days time at the ministry to debate this, you are expected to be there."

Jamie sat back in her chair, trying to recover from the shock.

"What will happen if he wins?" She whispered.

Dumbledore sighed, and bent his head.

"You will not be able to remain with the Weaslys.. the ministry will see to that. They will also see to it that you are escorted to the Malfoy Manor –"

"Where my father will be able to get to me…" Jamie said, finishing his sentence.

Dumbledore nodded sadly.

"We will do everything we can Jamie, but right now the law is on Lucius's side."

Jamie frowned.

"So my father just wrote a fake will to get me to come meet him?"

"There's more to it that just that Jamie… Lucius will be able to know where you are until you turn of age.. which isn't till December 18th by the way." He added.

"You started school early, to keep the façade as being the triplet."

Jamie had never realized she didn't actually know when her birthday was.

She sighed.

"So basically, we have to convince the court that I'm safe, and happy where I am, and that Lucius would be a terrible father?" Dumbledore nodded.

"Basically."

Jamie sighed, and got up.

"I guess this means I'm going back to Sirius's place, doesn't it?"

"Yes, I will apparate back with you after I have a word with Charlie." Jamie nodded, and picked up her stuff, she looked at Charlie and a pang of sadness ran through her. She turned away and walked quickly out the door before she could do anything stupid.

Dumbledore joined her a few minutes later, Charlie stayed at the tent entrance, his arms folded tightly across his chest. Dumbledore held out his arm for her to take, Jamie hesitated, looking at the man. He gave a quick nod, and she put down her bags, running back to Charlie. She flung herself into his arms, and kissed him passionately. He pulled back after holding her tight for a moment, and whispered in her ear.

"Come back to me."

Jamie could hear the tears he choked back in his voice.

He let her go, and she looked at him sadly, hoping that in the future, she could. Charlie looked at her for another moment, tears shining in his eyes then turned away, heading back into the tent. Jamie took a deep breath to compose herself then went back to Dumbledore, grabbing her bag and taking a firm grip on his arm.

After a moment of intense pressure, they were standing before Number 12, Grimmauled place. Jamie sighed, not really wanting to go into the house, to face the rath of her mother… to be trapped there once again.

"He loves you, you know." Dumbledore said quietly, dragging Jamie from her depressing thoughts.

Her eyebrows shot up as she looked at her headmaster.

He nodded, and smiled at her.

"I've seen the way he looks at you in enough males before… He really does." He said, his eyes twinkling at Jamie.

She smiled at him.

"Can you not tell anyone? Getting through this court date will be hard enough for my parents… I don't think we need to add that my step brother and I are madly in love to their plate."

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded his head.

"I couldn't agree more."

With that, the two of them walked up the steps of the apartment, knocking on the door.


	18. Part of the bigger picture

Much to her silent pleas that anyone but her mother would open the door, Molly swung it open, standing with her hands on her hips and a menacing look on her face. Jamie could feel shame begin to radiate through her body.

"Thank you Albus." She said shortly, letting him pass by. Jamie tried to do the same, but her mother blocked her way.

"Where exactly do you think your going?" Her mother said angrily.

Jamie shrugged,

"To my room I guess…"

"Oh, to your room! Where you could just oh, I donno… jump out of in the middle of the night and take off to Romania to visit Charlie!"

Jamie couldn't help snorting. Her mother shot her another menacing glare.

"Your father and I were worried sick! You could've died! You could have been taken! Do you have any idea what could've happened?" Her mother yelled at her.

Jamie lowered her head and sighed.

"Sorry mom."

She heard loud footsteps coming from the stairs, followed by loud screeching that came from behind a curtain on the wall. Her mother shot her another glare, and then went to try and shut the curtains again. Jamie picked up her bag and walked as quickly as she could towards the kitchen, hoping that someone was in there so she could escape her mother's wrath… at least for a while.

Fred and George stood at the bottom of the stairs, grinning at her.

"Nice move sis! How was Romania?" They said, joining her as she walked towards the kitchen.

She shrugged,

"Better than being stuck here I suppose. What did I miss?"

"Not much… everyone went kind of bonkers the day you left. I've never seen mom so angry before. But Dumbledore said it was best if you came back on your own, that was until a letter arrived for you. We tried to find out what it was about… but they didn't talk much about it."

Jamie held up the letter.

"Read it for yourself."

Fred grabbed it from her and read quickly. He let out a snort when he finished, passing it to George.

"The Malfoy's? Bloody hell Jamie, that really sucks!"

She grimaced.

"I know."

"Well you know what you have to do?" George said, finishing the letter.

"No I don't exactly…" Jamie said.

Fred exchanged a look with George, making a tsking noise.

"An she calls herself our sister." He said mockingly.

Jamie rolled her eyes. They gave her matching evil smiles.

"Just annoy him so much at the hearing that he says or does something that will put Malfoy into bad light… remember when you let one of the gnomes into the house on purpose, just to see what he would do? And dad threw that fit? Something like that…. It shouldn't be too hard, I'm pretty sure he has a shorter fuse than mom and dad."

"Speaking of which…" George muttered, then they both disappeared with a pop. Jamie heard her mother storm up behind her, and braced herself, but her mom came in front of her, and turned around with a sigh.

"We love you Jamie… we just don't want to see you get hurt." She said, pulling Jamie into an awkward hug with her bags and all. The she took a look at Jamie, and pulled her towards the kitchen.

"Come along dear, you look famished." Jamie had to admit, she was a bit hungry. Her mom swung open the kitchen door, and went to a boiling pot on the stove, stirring it. Her father, Sirius, and Albus were all sitting at the table staring at her as she entered the room. Sirius looked slightly angry, her father relieved, and Albus looked amused.

She sat down next to her father, throwing her bags down beside her.

"How was Romania?" He asked her.

Albus gave her a secretive smile, she shot a look at him, noticing Sirius was watching their silent exchange.

She smiled.

"It was good… Charlie sends his love." They had no idea how literally she meant…

She could've sworn she heard Dumbledore chuckle.

"So Jamie, did you wrangle any dragons while you were there?" Sirius asked with a wolfish grin.

"Absolutely not! Jamie would never do such a thing!" Her mother said, turning around and glaring at Sirius angrily. Jamie could almost see the sparks flying between them… she knew from the way they were looking at each other that they weren't getting along very well… she probably hadn't helped that situation.

"It's ok mom, I didn't wrangle any dragons; although Charlie did show me the Romanian Longhorn. It was awesome to see! Did you know that they are almost extinct? It's such a shame… they're beautiful creatures." Jamie replied calmly, trying to diffuse the situation.

Her mother only huffed, and went back to her work. Her father engaged Sirius in conversation, talking about ministry affairs, and Dumbledore joined in. Her mother banged a bowl of steaming hot soup in front of Jamie.

"Thanks." She said, digging into it.

She didn't really pay attention to what the three men were talking about, and after she was finished her soup, she took the dish to the sink and kissed her mom on the cheek.

"I'm going to talk to Fred and George." She said, flashing her mother a smile; she could she her mother's cold front against her melting. It worked every time.

Molly sighed, and pulled her into a hug.

She hurried up the stairs, trying to find their room, she found them on the third landing, working on something; they hid it as soon as she came in the room. Jamie raised an eyebrow, but didn't question them about it.

They covered up whatever it was, and sat on their beds, Jami walked in and bounced onto George's bed.

They sat in silence for a moment, just enjoying being in each other's company again. After a few moments, Fred interrupted it.

"So your…. You're related to you-know-who?" He said in a whisper.

Jamie sighed; she knew it was going to come to this…

"How much do you two know?" She asked.

George shrugged.

"Only that you are related to him, and that he's looking for you."

"Do you know how I'm related?" She asked them, looking down at her hands.

"No… mom and dad said it wasn't important." Fred said.

She looked at her fingers, twisting them up in the sheets… she took a deep breath not sure how they would react when they found out. She looked up at them.

"Fred, George. I need you to promise that you won't freak out if I tell you something." She said firmly, looking at them seriously.

They frowned, but nodded.

She sighed again, pinching the top of her nose, and closing her eyes.

"I'm… I'm his daughter…"

She heard a gagging noise coming from Fred, and George turned pale.

"You're sure?" George asked quietly.

She nodded.

They looked at each other for a moment, then back at her. Fred got off the bed and they both pulled her into a hug.

"This doesn't change anything. You're still our sister." George said when they pulled back. Jamie smiled, looking at them both.

"Thanks guys."

They had made her wonder though… did Charlie know exactly who she was? What he was getting himself into. Until she saw him next, if she did… she wouldn't know.


	19. The Game

The next two days passed easily for Jamie. She finally got to enjoy the company of her family. By the end of the second day, she had forgotten all about the hearing.

She was talking to Ron on the couch, while Sirius had a rousing conversation with the twins when her mother and father came in.

"Jamie." Her father said quietly.

She stopped in mid sentence, and looked at him.

"Can we talk to you for a moment in the kitchen?" He asked, Jamie could see the worry lines deepen in his forehead, her mom looked frightened.

She frowned, not sure what they were so worried about.

The reason hit her like a train. She felt her stomach tighten, she felt like she was going to be sick. This time tomorrow night, she could be trapped in the Malfoy manor… she could be with her blood father.

The thought made a shiver run down her spine.

She got up weakly, and followed them into the kitchen. She sat stiffly on a chair, trying not to show how afraid she actually was.

Her mother and father sat opposite her.

"Dumbledore and I will take you to the Ministry tomorrow." Her father said.

"Your hearing is at 9 in the morning, so we will have to be out of here by 8:30."

She nodded.

"What am I suppose to say?" She said, trying to sound strong.

"Tell them the truth." Her father said.

"It's our best defense now…"

At 8 the next morning, Jamie trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen, collapsing on to a chair.

Sirius, her mother, and father were all sitting at the table; drinking coffee.

"Morning." Sirius said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

She looked at him blankly, and nodded.

"Jamie, have a bit of breakfast dear." Her mother said, pushing a plate of toast towards her.

"I'm not hungry." She croaked.

They sat in silence. The time seemed to speed up as they neared their leaving time. Before Jamie knew it, she was standing at the door. Her mom hugged her tightly, tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll come back." Jamie said, not sure that it was the truth.

Her father took her hand, and pulled her into the street. Albus was standing there, waiting for them. He held out his arm for Jamie.  
"Good morning! I will be apparating with you my dear." He said brightly.

Jamie nodded, not trusting her voice. She grabbed his arm, and the next moment they were at the ministry. It was a blur as they headed to the room her hearing was to be held in. Jamie's main focus was on not throwing up. They stopped outside a large oak door. Dumbledore smiled at her, and turned her to face him.

"Just relax Jamie, everything will be alright." He said soothingly. He then took a hold of her arm and steered her into the room.

There were seven people in the front of the room, they already looked ready to hand her over to Lucius, who was standing in front of one of the podiums facing them. There was a small crowd of people that sat in chairs along the wall. Jamie recognized most of the faces as known Death Eaters, probably there to make sure she wouldn't escape, if the ruling was in their favor. Lucius looked at her with a fake smile plastered on his face as she stood behind Dumbledore who took the second podium. "Anna Taryn Riddle. Can you please step forward." Came a voice from a stern looking woman. Jamie felt her stomach drop, as she stepped in between the two podiums.

"We are here today to discuss the matter of your custody, to which one Lucius Malfoy is claiming that you are by law suppose to be in his care. However, you have instead been raised by Arthur and Molly Weasly. Is that correct?" She asked.

"Yes, that is correct." Jamie said, her voice cracking slightly. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"We will start with Lucius Malfoy." She said, looking at the man to her right. He smiled at the lady.  
"Your honor. I would like to bring forward the evidence of the will, left by her father who was her only surviving caregiver." He held up the document.

"In this will, he states that I something were to happen to him, or if he should disappear, that Anna's care should be given over to myself, and my wife."

"I would also like to say, that my family is much more capable of financially supporting Anna in the future, and that we have more time to spend with her, making sure she is living up to her full potential." He finished, and shot Jamie a look of triumph.

"In defense?" The woman asked, turning to Dumbledore.

"Your grace, I would like to ask Anna a few questions that I think will help shed some light on the situation." He said, turning to her.

"Anna. Are you happy with the Weasly's?" He asked her politely.

"Yes, yes of course I'm happy." She said quickly.

"Do you wish to leave them, and join Lucius in his home?"

"No." She said firmly, not looking at Lucius, though she was sure she heard him make some sort of noise behind her back.

"No? Even if it means having less opportunities? Less money?"

"I love my family, I do not wish to leave them." She said, holding her head high.

"I rest my case." Dumbledore said simply.

Jamie felt shocked. What? That was it? He just expected them to let her go, just because she didn't feel like going with the Malfoy's. Jamie hung her head, knowing all hope in returning to Grimmauld place was fading fast.

"We will discuss our decision, and return in a moment." The woman said, getting up with the seven other individuals, and leaving the room.

She was sure she heard Lucius chuckle lowly. He had won; Jamie guessed he had something to be pleased about. Her father would probably reward him when he brought her within his grasp, honor him with something. The seven judges filed back into the room, they sat down and the woman looked at Jamie.

"We find no reason at this time to hand over custody of Miss Anna Riddle." Jamie felt her whole body relax with relief. She heard Lucius make a surprised noise beside her.

"We do however, believe that this case should be monitored, incase Anna changes her mind, or the court finds reason to believe the Weasly's are no longer taking proper care of her. Therefore, the case will stay open until she comes of age."

With that, the seven judges filed out of the room.

Jamie was ecstatic; she couldn't believe they had won! She turned to Dumbledore, and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered excitedly in her ear.

He chuckled.

"It was you that did it Jamie, not I." He said softly, beginning to walk towards the door. She followed him, but felt a hand pull her backwards.

She turned to face Lucius, glaring at him.

"You lost Malfoy. Let go of me." She snarled.

He chuckled darkly.

"My dear, the game has just begun Anna." He said mysteriously, and withdrew a letter from his coat.

"Your father asked me to give this to you, in the event that we lost the case, which we have… for now."

He placed the envelope in her hand.

"See you soon." He said, smiling evilly at her, he stepped quickly out the door, followed by the mob of death eaters her father had sent with him. Some of them shot her angry glances, others looked curiously. Jamie waited till they had all filed out of the room, then she went out to the hall. Dumbledore and her father were talking, but they stopped when she emerged. She smiled at her father, and ran up to him, throwing her self around his neck. He laughed and hugged her back.

Jamie felt truly happy for a moment, but the voice of Lucius echoed in her head.

The game has just begun Anna.

The game has just begun…


	20. Author's Note: Please read

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! This is just a little update:

After posting 3 chapters yesterday, I noticed my plot is going in a direction I did not intend; I took down Ch 20 if anyone has read it, disregard it... So, the moral of the story is: I have to cut back on writing and focus on the quality of the chapters.

I know, it kind of sucks, but I promise to make it worth the wait. I will be publishing a chapter every second day from now on… although I will not be putting the newest addition out until either Thursday or Friday this week…. Thanks for all of the awesome reviews! I hope you will still read the story!

The new chapters will be out every Friday, Sunday, and Wednesday.


	21. Time flys when your reckless

Hey everyone! I got to update sooner than expected! Damn Canadian weather… although it's almost May, we have just experienced one of the largest snow storms of the year… fun… its hard to think that it was 20 degrees Celsius here a few days ago… The only good part of it was that I got to write my story!

So, this chapter really skips over quite a few months… I had a hard time writing it, as it is one of the less interesting chapters, I just really want to get to the good stuff I have planned in the future, as I'm sure all you readers do.

That's it for now!

Hope you enjoy!

J.R

Her mother nearly knocked Jamie over as she came in the door. She squeezed the breath out of her adopted daughter, crying in relief. Her father had to help Jamie pry herself away before she suffocated.

"Mom it's ok, I'm ok…" Jamie said soothingly, patting her arm.

Apparently, her brothers had heard the commotion. Fred and George came running down the hall, setting off the portrait and crushed her into a hug. Ron and Ginny followed them, smiling at Jamie. Once she was done being nearly crushed to death by the majority of her family members, they headed to the kitchen where her mom had made a special dinner and hung a banner.

WELCOME HOME JAMIE!

She smiled at the poster, and looked around the room, there Professor Lupin, who she had as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in fourth year, a woman she didn't know, and Sirius, all wearing matching smiles. The woman got up, coming over and hugging her.

Jamie was kind of startled by the stranger's affection, but went along with it.

"Hi Jamie!" The woman said, pulling back to face her. Her hair was a strange shade of bubblegum pink. Jamie liked her already.

Sirius let out a barking laugh.

"Jamie, this is Tonks… she never was very good at introductions." He said lightly.

The woman shot him a look.

"Hey!" She said, pulling away from Jamie and going over to Sirius to tell him off.

Jamie sat in between the twins as her mother served up a turkey, stuffing, and all of Jamie's favorite foods.

The dinner was amazing, as was the company. Jamie couldn't help but grin for the entire night. It was fairly early that everyone got tired… probably from the turkey. They trudged up to bed as the clock hit 11. Jamie went to her room, thinking that she would write a letter to Charlie. She missed him… more that she wished to admit. She yawned and stretched, taking off her jacket. The letter Lucius had gave her fell out from where she had hidden it earlier today. She picked it up off the floor, looking at the neat handwriting on the front of the envelope. She ran her fingers over the indentation's the words had made.

Anna

One of the most feared men in history, who had murdered many people, and destroyed even more lives, was writing to her.

She shook her head, clearing the dark thought from her mind. She dropped the letter again, as if it were burning her. She glared down at the letter, hoping that her gaze would cause it to disappear. She rubbed her eyes, frustrated at her weakness, and went over to the desk, leaving the letter lying unopened on the floor.

Jamie sat down, and pulled up a quill and ink, hesitating above the paper.

Charlie.

She paused again, not sure how to express the emotions bubbling inside her.

I am safe; we won the custody battle, conditionally. But for now I am still with mom and dad.

I miss you. I wish I could come back and see you, but I'm afraid mom would have a seizer if I tried to leave again. I hope everything is well with you.

Love you,

Jamie.

Jamie looked at the letter, somewhat satisfied with the wording, she decided to send it, she went quietly down the hall, and opened Sirius's door. He was still downstairs as far as she knew, so she was able to quickly tie the letter to the sleepy owl's leg, and open the window, sending it off into the cool summer night.

The summer passed quickly for Jamie, as her mother rarely let her have a moment of peace, forcing her and her siblings to help in the monumental task of cleaning the house.

Hermonie arrived in the middle of the summer, as well as Harry, after a rather restless night in which he got attacked by dementors.

Jamie couldn't help but feel slightly guilty, it was her blood father that had set them on him after all.

Jamie wasn't sure if he knew about her past.. so she kept any conversation with him light, and about neutral subjects.

Harry went to a hearing, regarding the attack and his use of magic underage.

He won, and another celebration was held.

Before Jamie knew it, they were on their way to the station to board the train… accompanied by a large guard, to protect Harry, and herself.

They made their way onto the platform, and Jamie saw Lucius look at her. He gave her a small smile, his eyes twinkling dangerously, but he made no attempt to come over to her, thankfully.

The first month goes along smoothly, expect for Umbridge's class. Jamie fumed to her brother's one day as they left.

"What exactly are we suppose to do with this!" She said, holding up their assigned book in her hands.

"It's a load of crap!" She said, rather loudly.

Fred smirked, and opened his mouth to retort, when a high voice cut him off.

"Jamie, I need to see you in my office." Umbridge called from behind her. Jamie groaned inwardly, and the twins shot her looks of pity. She sighed, and waved them on.

"I'll see you later." She said, turning back to Umbridge, who was standing there with a smiled plastered on her ugly face. Jamie strode past her into the open office, and took a seat down on the overstuffed pink chair, facing her desk.

Umbridge closed the door, and slide the lock into place with a loud click, then took the time to settle herself across from Jamie comfortably. She folded her hands on the desk, and smiled sweetly at Jamie.

"Would you like anything to drink dear?" She asked, with superficial kindness.

Jamie shook her head.

"No? Well I hope you don't mind if I have a spot of tea." She simpered, making a teapot and cup appear, pouring the steaming liquid into the china.

"Now." She said, taking a sip from her tea.

"I have heard, from the ministry that there was a custody battle over you this summer." She said, taking another sip.

"I also know, that your… situation is conditional on the fact that the Weasly's are taking proper care of you."

Jamie frowned, not sure what she was getting at.

Umbridge smiled at Jamie, her eyes twinkling maliciously.

"It so happens, that Lucius is a friend of mine at the ministry. He asked me to keep an eye on any… suspicious or controversial behavior that you may show."

Jamie felt her stomach drop, thinking of all the things she had done that would be considered controversial.

Umbridge put her tea down, looking at Jamie.

"Today is just one of the many things I have seen you do that would be considered of interest to the Ministry. They wouldn't blame you for your behavior of course, or for your blatant disregard for authority, but rather your parents. They are after all, the ones who raised you."

Jamie felt like she was going to be sick, she looked away from the horrible person in front of her, concentrating on keeping her lunch down.

Umbridge's toad-like smile seemed to expand as she picked up the tea, sitting back comfortably in her chair.

"You may go now Miss Weasly… or is it Riddle? I can't seem to quite remember." Jamie knew she was trying to work a response out of her, she clenched her fists, looking up into the beady eyes staring at her.

"It's Miss Weasly Professor." She said in a kind tone, rising from her chair. She gave a little nod to her, and exited the room quickly, before she could do anything she would regret.

Jamie walked as quickly as she could away from the office, when she got to the nearest bathroom; she entered it quickly running into one of the stalls. Her lunch didn't seem to want to stay down after all. She sat down on the floor of the bath room; shaking. Would Malfoy get custody of her? Jamie felt emotion well up inside herself; she bit her lip hard to stop from crying.

Had she really ruined everything?


	22. turning point

Jamie couldn't help but be afraid of Umbridge after their talk.

Every time she saw her coming down the hall, Jamie would jump slightly every time she saw her, to the confusion of the people around her. Jamie hadn't told any one about the conversation. She felt that they had enough to hate Umbridge about, not bringing in her petty problems.

September came and went, and before she knew it, the first weekend of Hogsmead had arrived.

Jamie hurried alongside her brothers, who were being very mysterious about where they were going.

"Guys… come on! Can you at least give me a general idea of where we are going?" Jamie said in frustration, after trying to get out of them where exactly they were taking her for the entire morning.

Fred and George exchanged a look, then Fred sighed, looking at his sister.

"Harry's called a meeting about forming a group.. to actually learn something about Defense against the Dark arts this year, we are going to the meeting, and your coming."

Jamie frowned, stopping in the street.

"So I don't even get a choice in the matter?"

Fred shot her a glare, stopping as well.

"Jamie, you of all people could probably do well to learn something practical about defending yourself… considering there is a notable dark wizard out to get you right now."

Jamie knew he had a point. She smiled at them, putting her arms around their shoulders.

"Thanks guys…" She said, causing them to flush in embarrassment.

She gave a small laugh.

"So, where are we going?"

Thus, Dumbledore's Army began. Jamie had learned how to use Expelliarmus, as well as Protego. She felt her confidence rising as Christmas approached. It was mid December, Jamie and the twins piled into the common room after an invigorating meeting. They talked excitedly as they made their way towards their opposite stairs. Jamie bid them goodnight, and headed up to her warm bed, a sense of happiness surrounding her. She changed into her night clothes, and headed to her bed. She stopped, seeing an envelope with neat writing, then same script as the one she had seen addressed to her from last summer.

Anna

She felt her heart catch in her throat, why was he writing to her? Why now? Then she remembered.. today was the 18th. It was technically her birthday. She felt relief overwhelm her, she gave a small laugh, looking around to make sure she hadn't woken the other sleeping girls in the room. She smiled, there was no way that Lucius.. Umbridge… or her father could use her age to control her now. One less thing to worry about. She sat down on the bed, and pulled the covers over top of her self, staring at the letter in her hands.

Jamie hesitated, then ripped the envelope, opening up the letter inside.

Anna,

I hope that this letter finds you in good spirits; it is after all, your Seventeenth birthday. I have no doubt that you would feel this is a small victory over myself, as Lucius tells me you wish to have no intention of meeting me at any point in the future. I will have you Anna; you are my blood and I do not intend to let you make a mockery of the Riddle name. The age limit makes no difference my dear; I will find you. You would be wise to accompany Draco on the train to the Manor if you wish to save yourself and the people you call family much pain and grief. Do not keep me waiting Anna; my patience with you is growing thin. You may tell Draco your response to my invitation tomorrow.

Happy birthday.

Your Father

Jamie frowned at the letter. What did he mean pain and grief? What was he planning to do to her family? Jamie ran a hand through her hair, not sure what to think of the letter. She scrunched it up, and threw the wad of paper into her open trunk at the foot of her bed, sinking into the bed, and falling into restless dreams in which a high pitched cackling could often be heard.

Jamie woke the next day, feeling un-rested. She hauled on a clean set of robes, and headed down to the main hall, hoping to catch a bite to eat before her morning classes. She saw Draco waiting in the main hall, looking paler than usual. That was when she remembered the letter from the night before; she saw him look over at her, and come over quickly.

Jamie shot him a glare, and shook her head, making him stop in his tracks. She saw him frown slightly, and give a nod in understanding. He turned on heal, and went into the Hall without a backwards glance. Jamie grumbled a little as she followed him into the hall.

The rest of her day past without incident, although she did notice a rather sour look on Umbridge's face, considering it was almost the last day of classes. Jamie couldn't help but smile. She went to bed feeling much more relaxed than she had in a long time, although the word's in her father's letter still resonated softly in the back of her mind. Just as she seemed to fall asleep, she was being shaken awake by Professor MacGonnagal.

"Mrs. Weasly, please come with me." She said quietly, trying not to wake any of the other girls. Jamie rubbed sleep from her eyes as she made her way down the stairs behind her Head of house. She said her brother's and sister standing there, looking pale and sleepy. She frowned.

"Professor –"

"If you could all follow me." She said, cutting Jamie off. Jamie shut her mouth, shrugging at the confused looks the twins shot her, and following them out of the portrait hole. She ended up leading them to the headmaster's study, where Ron, Harry, and the headmaster were already present. Harry was covered in sweat, and looked paler than Jamie had ever seen him.

Dumbledore looked concerned.

She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but he held out a hand to stop her, starting to speak himself.

"Your father has been attacked tonight." Jamie felt her breath leave her, and her stomach drop.

"He is alive, but barely. I believe that it would be best if you went to Grimmauld place, and waited for word about Arthur there. You are excused from your classes." He motioned to the fireplace, where they each took their turns transporting to the headquarters for the order of the phoenix.

They spent most of the night in silence, waiting for word of their father. Jamie couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt… she realized that it was her fault that Arthur was lying in a hospital bed right now. If she had gone to the Manor with Malfoy, all of her family would be safe right now. She couldn't look any of her family in the eyes as they waited. She didn't belong here… it wasn't her blood father who was fighting for his life, she might have taken away this family's chance for happiness, and for what? Because she wanted to keep pretending that she was part of it? It was all that Jamie could do to keep from breaking down in tears right there.

The whole room seemed to pause as her mom came through the door. She looked at them, and gave a small smile.

"Your father is going to be alright. He is resting right now."

She heard everyone sigh in relief around her, as she did too.

They went to St. Mungo's the next day… rather later that day, to visit him.

He looked sickly pale, and weak, but very much alive. After visiting him for a while, she gave her parents some privacy, wandering around the hospital.

She ended up on the ground floor, and went in to the small cafeteria there to get a bottle of water.

After she paid for it, she walked back through the lobby. A rather brutish looking man brushed into her, he forced something into her hand.

"Sorry Miss." He said, tipping his frayed hat at her with an evil grin. He walked out the lobby doors, Jamie stared after him, and then down at the thing he had shoved into her hand. It was a letter.


	23. Coming Undone

It wasn't in an envelope; Jamie opened the letter quickly.

Anna,

The attack on your adopted father is merely a warning, next time he will not survive. If you want me to spare the Weasly's the pain of losing their father, you will meet Lucius in the bar in front of Diagon Alley tonight. You have until midnight. Don't test my patience again.

Your father.

Jamie bit her tongue to stop a sob from coming out. She knew that there wasn't anything she could do. She would have to go to Lucius.

Before she could change her mind, Jamie strode out the doors of the hospital. She was at least fortunate enough to be within walking distance of the pub. She wished she could give her family some sort of warning; tell them why she had to leave, but she knew they would never allow her to go if they really knew….

Jamie pulled her collar up against the wind, also using it as a shield to hide her fear from passing people. They looked so happy, doing their Christmas shopping… laughing and chatting with each other with broad smiles on their faces. She saw a couple kiss passionately in the street and she felt a pang in her heart. Charlie. In the letters they had sent each other over the past six months, she knew he still cared about her the way she did for him. She also knew that she probably never get to see him again, now that she was going into the clutches of her father. The thought made her almost start crying again, but Jamie bit her lip hard, fighting against the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her.

She caught sight of the pub, and slowed down a bit, savoring her last few moments of freedom. She walked up to the door with a sigh, and pushed it open.

Lucius was already there, although it was only 4 in the afternoon. He was sitting at the bar, drinking from a glass that was full of some amber liquid.

She sat down beside him. He took the glass and drained it, turning to her. He gave her a small, chilling smile. She felt as though a lump of ice had formed in the pit of her stomach. The bartender came up, looking at her.

"Firewhiskey." She said, he raised his eyebrows, but poured her a tall glass of it anyways. She gave a mock toast to Malfoy, and drained the glass in one gulp, setting it down on the table with a loud bang. She felt the drink run hot through her veins, making her feel slightly better about her situation.

She turned to Lucius again, inclining her head slightly.

He gave a nod, and tossed the bartender a Galleon; getting up from the bar and putting a hand on Jamie's back. She followed his lead, rising from her chair. The liquid made her feel lightheaded as they walked out the front door. She saw two men follow them out, keeping close behind her. Lucius steered her into a deserted alley, the three men looked around to see if no one was watching, then Malfoy rolled up his left sleeve, pressing his wand to the mark on the forearm. Jamie felt panic rise in her throat, her father knew she was coming. She looked desperately around, seeking an escape; but the death eaters were blocking the only exit with folded arms.

"Anna." Lucius said, warning her.

She knew there was no escape now, even if she wanted to, she couldn't leave; they would just take her by force anyways. Jamie sighed, and stepped up to Lucius and taking the arm he held out for her.

The alley spun out of view, and they landed in front of a large Mansion. A thick layer of snow draped like a blanket over the house, there was a large fence and a hedge that ran around the property. She could tell they were a very long way from London, from looking around at the countryside that surrounded them. There would be no chance to escape into the crowds, or run away in general.

Lucius put a hand on her back again, driving her forward. They made their way up the long drive, the two other death eaters trailing behind them. When they came to the front door, Lucius stopped her, he held out his hand.

"Your wand Anna." He said firmly.

She was taken aback a bit, not expecting to have to give it up, he raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed, reaching into her thick cloak and pulling out the wand. He took it from her, sliding it into his own robe. Jamie felt even more helpless now. Lucius opened the door, giving her a small push to make her move forward into the entrance. The death eaters shut the door behind them with a loud bang that echoed through the silent house. Jamie froze, not wanting to take a step forward, in fear of meeting her father. Lucius sighed, see the expression on her face and grabbed her wrist, firmly moving her forward. She struggled against him for a moment as fear took hold of her, but gave in as he shot a look back at her. He led her to a large set of double doors, and knocked. He waited a moment, and then pulled one of the doors back, pushing her inside.

It was the same room as the one in her nightmares. The only light was coming from a large fireplace at the end of the room. There were a few large chairs near the fireplace, positioned across from each other, a low table rested in between them.

There was one chair that had been moved to face away from her, blocking some of the light of the fire.

"_Anna" _A high cold voice called from the chair, Jamie felt the hairs on her neck stand up.

"_Come here."_ Jamie hesitated, caught between her fear of the man, and her fear of what he may do if she didn't obey. She moved forward after a moment, taking each step slowly to lengthen the time she had.

When she finally came before the man, she turned to face him, kneeling down. She kept her eyes averted, afraid to look him in the face. A pale, spider-like hand extended under her chin, pulling her face up to look at him.

She almost pulled away in terror, she had heard from Harry that he was frightening to behold, but she had no idea how much so. His red eyes glared down at her, examining her face. He had no hair, and was pale as the moon. Jamie could almost feel the murderous power he possessed rolling off of him. After examining her like an art collector would a painting, he sat back in his chair, letting her gaze fall down again.

"_It seems you have inherited more from me than just your gift with tongues."_ He said after a moment, making her realize that he had been speaking to her in Parseltongue. Jamie pulled her lips tight; she looked nothing like the monster before her.

He chuckled darkly.

"_Although it may not seem so now, I once could have been mistaken as your twin brother."_ He said, pausing a moment.

"_But from what I can remember, you use to have red hair…" _He said; reaching forward and examining a lock of her hair, Jamie had to fight a shiver.

He let go of it, forcing her chin up again.

"_Look at me Anna." _He said firmly, sitting back once again. She stared into the hateful man's eyes, fighting to keep from breaking down into tears of fear. He folded his hands into his lap, looking at her with a stern expression.

"_I am going to overlook your behavior towards myself. I believe that it is a product of your upbringing in the Weasly family." He said._

"_But your disrespect ends now Anna, you will not make a fool out of me, or yourself as long as you remain in my care." _Jamie tried to hide a look of annoyance.. she wasn't just a child anymore, his gaze hardened, letting her know that she had been unsuccessful in keep the thought to herself. He withdrew a long pale wand and pointed it at her in the time that she had blinked; Jamie didn't even have time to prepare herself.

"Crucio." He said coldly.

The pain was almost unbearable. Jamie screamed, writhing on the floor in agony… he pulled up the spell fairly quickly, leaving her panting on the floor.

"You will not disrespect me child!" He said forcefully in English, glaring down at her.

"Get up." He said coldly.

Jamie managed to get into the kneeling position again, forcing herself to look at the man who had caused her so much pain.

He gave her a small smile.

"You learn quicker that your mother at least." He said maliciously, touching a sensitive subject for Jamie. She glared at him.

"Don't talk about my mother!" She spat, realizing only after the words had left her mouth what she had done. She forced herself to stare at him, not giving him the privilege of seeing her fear.

"Crucio." He said, colder than the previous time.

She panted as he let go of the curse; she was facing away from him, and made no move to get up.

Tears stung her eyes as she started to come undone.

"Anna." Her father said from behind her. Jamie still didn't move, she took a few long breaths, trying to calm herself but the tears began to roll down her face.

"Anna." He father said firmly, she could hear from his voice that he would not tolerate her lying there ignoring him for more then a few seconds. She rolled over painfully, and got up onto her knees, biting her lip against the tears that flowed silently down her face. He made a tsking noise and reached out, brushing the tears off her cheeks almost kindly. She let out an uncontrolled sob, and bit the inside of her lip, trying to regain some of her composure.

He waited in silence as Jamie eventually managed to get a hold of herself; when she did eventually look him in the eyes, and saw both annoyance and amusement. He made a large motion with his wand, causing Jamie to flinch. He let out a small chuckle. The doors Jamie had come in swung open, and Lucius and Macnair came in, grabbing Jamie around her arms and helping her stand up.

Voldemort smiled at her.

"We will continue our discussion tomorrow." She knew it was a promise. The two Death Eaters supporting her helped her from the room and up the stairs, they steered her into a large bedroom and place her on the bed. She curled up on her side, facing away from the door. She heard the two men chuckle as they left the room, closing the door behind them and locking it with a click. Jamie cried for what seemed like hours, eventually drifting off into dark dreams in which she was always in chains.


	24. All For Love

The next morning, she was shaken awake by Lucius, she looked up at him with dazed eyes… not sure where she was for a moment, then yesterday's ordeal surfaced in her mind. She sighed, and swung herself out of bed. He took hold of her wrist, and dragged her down the hall, shoving her behind a door.

"You have twenty minutes." He said, before closing the door with a loud snap. She turned around; she was standing in a large bathroom. There was one small window at the very top, not nearly large enough to climb out of. She sighed, and hopped into the shower, letting the heat sooth her aching body. She washed quickly, but let the hot water fall long after she was clean, letting the water mix with her tears. She stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself. She rummaged around in the drawers in front of the mirror, looking for a brush. She found one, and ran it through her hair. It had some sort of drying spell on it, so Jamie was left with clean, soft curls that ran down her back. Just as she finished, a knock came at the door. A hand extended into the bathroom, hold a fresh set of robes. She took them gratefully, and changed into the black clothes. They were in her size, and made of a very soft material. She ran her hands along them, appreciating the value of the fabric. The one robe was probably worth more than her entire wardrobe back home… the thought made her sad. Jamie glanced into the mirror, peering at the sad blue eyes that reflected back at her. Another knock came at the door, and Lucius opened it. He looked at her, and gave a nod of approval.

"Follow me." He said, moving down the hall. Jamie went after him. He led her to a different room than the one yesterday. He knocked on the door, and opened it. Jamie went in. This room had a large set of windows on the wall. Weak winter sunlight poured in through the glass. There was a large table with chairs surrounding it. Her father sat at the far end, reading the Daily Prophet. When he heard the door close behind Jamie he looked up, and made a beckoning motion towards her. She went down the length of the tale, stopping a few feet in front of him. He motioned for her to sit in the chair on the one side of him. She sat down, perched on the edge of the seat. He put the paper down on the table, and looked at her, examining her as he had yesterday. Jamie squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

He smiled at her discomfort.

"You must be hungry my dear, Millie!" He said a house elf appeared.

"Bring Anna some breakfast." He ordered, the house elf bowed low, and disappeared with a crack.

"I'm not hungry." She said stiffly, it was true… her stomach was working itself into knots.

The house elf appeared again, and placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of her, disappearing again.

He shot her a look.

"You need to eat something my dear, I can't afford to have you malnourished at the moment. Eat." He commanded.

She sighed, and took a bite of the toast, hoping she would be able to keep it down. She went to put it down, but her father shot her another look. He made her finish the piece of toast, then made the plate vanish.

"We will not be having this argument every morning Anna, unless you wish for me to treat you as a child. This behavior is certainly childish." He said firmly, pick up his paper again. He made Jamie sit in silence for a few minutes, and then folded up the paper, rising from his seat.

"Come," He said, moving swiftly from the room. He led her down a long hallway, and entered a large study.

He went over to the desk, and pulled out a package.

"I have something for you." He said, bringing the brown parcel over to her. She took the package from him hesitantly.

He went over to a couch, and motioned that she should sit on it as well. She sat as far away as she could from him, but it was still unnerving sitting on the couch with him. She opened the package; it contained a silver bracelet with the design of a snake on it. She held it up, examining it carefully. She had to admit, it was beautiful. He held out a hand, she put the bracelet in his hands.

"It's beautiful…" She murmured.

He placed it around her wrist; he looked pleased…

"It's a birthday present." He said, snapping the clasp into place. He released her wrist, and she stared at it in the light.

He got up again, and made his way over to a bookshelf.

"Now, we will begin your studies." He said, pulling a book from the shelf. He came over and placed it on her lap.

"You will study this in your spare time." He said firmly.

It was a book about the Dark Arts.. Jamie felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Over the next week, Jamie's routine remained fairly constant. She would have breakfast with her father, and then they would go to his study where he would teach her about the Dark Arts. She would sometimes do something that displeased him, causing him to use the Cruciatus curse on her… but over all the time she spent with him was not as horrible as she had expected… At least she wasn't locked up in a dungeon.

Three days after Christmas, she came downstairs as usual, and went to have breakfast with her father. After she was done eating, she hesitated. He looked up from his paper momentarily.

"What is it Anna?" He asked. Even after a week, he seemed to almost have a second sense for her emotions.

"It's nothing…" She said.

He looked up from his paper, shooting a glare at her.

"Don't lie to me. What is it?" He said accusingly.

She sighed.

"Well… Draco is going back to Hogwarts tomorrow… I was wondering if I was going to be able to join him." Voldemort gave her a look of annoyance, and went back to reading.

"No."

Jamie's heart sunk a bit.

"I will not be sending my daughter to a school that is run by the head of the Order, especially considering he went to great lengths to keep you away from me last time. I am not a fool Anna, he would do it again." He said, answering her unsaid question.

She sighed, and nodded.

"You have enough training in the other areas, but you are only beginning your study of the Dark Arts. I will not have it interrupted so that you can go get an mediocre education." He said, putting his paper down with more force than necessary. She had made him angry, that was obvious.

"Yes father." She said respectfully. He gave her a strange look, and got up from his seat.

"Come." He said, extending a hand out to her. She grasped it, and let him lead her to the study.

She couldn't help but be sad the next day as Draco left for school. He shot her a look of pity as he left with his father. She sighed, folding her arms tightly across her chest. She ran a hand through her hair, and turned around. Her father was standing there, watching her.

His eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"I was saying goodbye to Draco." She replied honestly.

"Anna, I know you wished to return to the school with him, I hope that in the future you can. But for now, you will remain here, and continue your training in the Dark Arts."

She nodded sullenly.

"Is there anything you need from me father?" She asked dully.

He shook his head. She gave a respectful nod to him, and began to climb the stairs.

"Anna.." He called, making her stop. She turned around, looking at him.

"Sleep well… your training intensifies tomorrow." He said, turning on his heal and walking swiftly out of the room. Jamie frowned. What did he mean intensify?

She found out soon enough. After their usual breakfast, he took her hand and led her down the same hall. Jamie attempted to stop at the study, but he shook his head. She frowned, and followed him. He led her to a set of stairs that led into the dark basement. He pulled her up at one door, and murmured an opening spell she didn't recognize to the door. He pulled it open, motioning her in. The room was dark; she squinted, trying to make it out. Voldemort came in behind her, locking the door with a click. The made a motion with his wand, causing lights to appear in the room. Her eyes adjusted to the change for a moment, then she saw him. She rushed over to the limp form on the floor.

"Charlie!" She cried out, trying to shake him awake.

"Charlie!"

She cradled his head in her lap, he groaned, and opened his eyes. He looked horrible. He looked like he had been tortured countless times. His robes were dirty, as was he.  
"Jamie…" He said softly, reaching up a hand to feel her face, as if checking to make sure she was real. She grasped the hand, pushing it into her face.

"I'm here Charlie." She whispered. She heard a chuckled from behind her. She had completely forgotten that her father was standing in the room. She glared at him, putting a hand protectively over Charlie.

"What have you done to him?" She hissed, glaring at Voldemort.

"Only teaching the boy a lesson… no one touches you without my permission." She froze…

He nodded.

"Oh yes my dear, I know all about your time in Romania. I sent two death eaters to collect you… but they found you sleeping in the same bed as your adopted brother. You can imagine their shock. They reported their findings back to me, I decided to leave you there, knowing the connection could be of use in the future."

He looked at her mockingly.

"Really Anna, I thought you had higher standards… your own brother!" He let out a high cruel laugh, Charlie stirred under her; she stroked his hair soothingly.

"I guess it could be worse… at least he's a pureblood." He added, more as a note to himself than to her.

She looked at him fearfully.

"What are you going to do with him?"

"That my dear; is entirely up to you."

She frowned, not sure what he meant. He came over, holding out a hand to her. She shifted Charlie off her lap, and took it. He pulled her up, and turned her to face another shape that she had not noticed before, whimpering softly in the corner.

"I pick him out especially for you my dear." Her father hissed in her ear.

She could feel fear creeping slowly through her veins.

He reached around her, holding out her wand.

"You will need this…" He said.

Jamie was confused.

"What do you expect me to do?"

"This week's lesson is on the Unforgivable Curses." He said, a small smile forming on his lips.

Her eyebrows shot up.

"You expect me to torture him?"

Voldemort nodded, looking over at the shape coldly.

"It's only a muggle…" He said cruelly. Jamie made a sound of disgust.

"I won't do it." She said firmly.

"Ahhh, I thought you would say that. That is why your love is here, for every time you fail to do the curse I ask of you, whether you cast it or not. I will do the same on Charlie." Her breath caught.

He chuckled.

"Let's begin."

"The Cruciatus curse." He ordered. Jamie stepped forward, pointing her wand shakily at the poor muggle.

"Jamie…" the voice sounded from the floor. She stopped, looking down at Charlie.

He was begging her with his eyes.  
"Don't do this… please. I can take the pain…" She put down her wand reluctantly, looking at her father. He was not pleased.

"Crucio." He said coldly, pointing the wand at Charlie. His screams of agony cause Jamie almost physical pain. Her father held the curse for a long time, and then looked at her.  
"Its up to you Anna, can you really stand to watch him in so much pain?"

Jamie looked at Charlie as he screamed. Her father already knew the answer to his question.  
"Stop… stop!" She said after a moment.

He lifted the curse, leaving Charlie panting on the floor, covered in sweat.

"I'll do it." She croaked, turning to the whimpering muggle.

"Jamie…" Charlie said from the floor, she ignored him.

"Crucio." She said, pointing her wand feebly at the innocent muggle. He gave a small whimper of pain, but nothing more.

"Crucio." He father said, pointing his wand at Charlie again, and drawing out fresh screams. He released it after a moment.

"You have to mean it Anna, you have to want them to feel pain." He said. Jamie felt a shudder run through her body, he breakfast threatened to come up.

She took a moment to steady herself, and turned to the muggle. She thought of causing him as much physical pain as she could.

"Crucio." The voice did not sound like hers.

The muggle screamed on the ground, thrashing around. Jamie held it for a while; interested that she could cause this much pain. She shook the dark thoughts from her head, catching herself. She lifted the curse, leaving the muggle crying on the ground.

"Well done Anna." Her father murmured behind her.  
She shivered, turning to face him.

"Are we done?" She asked, feeling sick.

He shook his head.

"I want you to get use to the spell, use it a few more times on him." She shuddered, but nodded.

"Jamie… don't do this." Charlie's voice sounded stronger from the ground. She ignored him.

"Crucio" she said, calmer than last time.

He made her cast the spell another five times, before her was satisfied with the amount of pain she could cause the muggle. Charlie's pleas became silent after a while, as he realized she would not allow him to be tortured. Her father escorted her from the room, locking the door behind them. Jamie felt her breakfast come up when she was finished she stood there, shaking with a cold sweat covering her body. Her father came up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Well done my dear." He whispered, leading his shaking daughter up the stairs.

She spent her day in her room, and that night her dreams were filled with Charlie's screams.

At breakfast, there was an uncomfortable silence between her father and herself. Jamie wasn't hungry, but forced down a piece of toast after her father gave her a look. When he had finished with his paper, he took her hand again, and led her to the basement.

"Imperio." She said firmly, pointing it at the muggle.

"Make him stand." Her father said behind her. She did, although he did it rather shakily.

"The Imperious curse is not your best…" He remarked, as they walked upstairs.

She shrugged; did she really want to be good at any of the curses?

He bid her farewell, and Jamie went up to her room again. She dreamed she was a puppet, and her father was the puppeteer.

She took her time getting ready the next day, taking much more time than usual. She went down to the room, and hurried up to take her seat.

"Your late." He said, glaring at her. Jamie kept her eyes down.

Her breakfast appeared in front of her, Jamie almost puked on the spot. She pushed the plate away from herself, not even attempting to eat. He raised an eyebrow at her, but she just stared blankly back at him.

He sighed, and put down his paper, getting up from the table.

They entered the room again, Jamie felt shaky, and pale. There was only one curse left.

Her father locked the door behind them she looked back at him with pleading eyes. He inclined his head, and shot her a look; she knew she was going to have to go through with this. The muggle was cowering away from her in the corner; Charlie was sitting against the wall opposite him.

"Jamie…" He said; she could see he was already doing better she couldn't risk her father killing him. She looked at him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry Charlie." She said, turning away from him. She lifted her wand up. She thought hard about the spell, concentrating her energy.

"Advada Kedavera." She said her voice seemed to come from someone else. A green light hit the muggle, and he went limp against the wall. Her father went over, checking the body for something. He looked up at her; she could see pride in his eyes. She felt disgusted with herself.

"I think you've found your calling my dear." He said proudly. She shot him a look of hatred; he chuckled.

"There is no trace of magic left on him… it took me years to achieve that. Well done." He said warmly. She gagged slightly, heading for the door. He opened it, following after her.

She couldn't bear to look back at Charlie.

He told her she was to come down for dinner that night, and left her in her room.

Jamie felt numb, she had just killed a man… and he hadn't done anything to deserve it. She closed her eyes, and fell asleep. Lucius woke her later that night.

"Your father is waiting." He hissed at her, dragging her down the stairs. He shoved her into the same room she had breakfast in.

Her father narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm sorry, I fell asleep." She said apologetically, taking her normal seat.

He gave a nod, clapping his hands and making food appear. They ate in silence.

After Jamie was done what she could stomach, she sat back, gazing blankly at the dish before her. Her father finished a few minutes later, and cleared his throat, getting up from the table, and offering her a hand.

He took her into the same room she had met him in, and they sat by the roaring fire. He had a glass of fire whiskey in his hand, and took a sip of it.

"I thought we could discuss what to do with the other prisoner." He said conversationally. Jamie straightened up.

"What do you mean?" She said, trying to keep her voice calm.

He set the glass down on the table and sat back, staring at her.

"I would be willing to let him go… for a price." He said.

Jamie's eyes widened, but she felt her stomach drop uncomfortably.

"What price?" she asked warily.

He chuckled.

"You of course."

She frowned.

"I don't understand…."

"Its quite simple actually, swear your loyalty to me… work for me, and I will let Charlie go."

"You won't kill or capture him again?" She asked.

"On my word as a father." He said, smiling.

"But…" of course there was another catch.

"You would not be able to see him again. He may be pureblood, but his blood is as good as a mudblood's as far as I'm concerned. You need to be with someone more… refined." She snorted… refined?

He shot a warning look at her.

She sighed.

"That's not even a choice." She complained. He chuckled.

He came over to her.

"Stand up." He ordered.

She did, and he spun her around.

He pulled the top of her robe down, exposing her back. She tried to squirm away, but he held her tight. He pulled his wand out, and placed the tip on her back, muttering a spell.

She gave a gasp of pain, and attempted to struggle out of his grasp again.

"Stand." He said forcefully. Jamie gave a whimper of pain, but stood still. It felt like he was branding her. After about a minute, he pulled away.

"It's done." He murmured.

She frowned.

"Don't you usually mark your death eaters on their arms?" She said bitterly.

"Yes, but you are not only a death eater my dear… you are also my daughter." He said firmly.

"This shows the world that you are mine. But that you are also not just some common death eater." He said, sitting down on the couch again and taking his drink with him.

She sat down, and leaned back, hissing in pain and pulling forward as her back touched the couch. He chuckled.

"It might be sore for a couple of days." He said, looking at her with amusement.

"When will you let Charlie go?" She asked, changing the subject.

He considered her question for a moment.

"Two days… I have a rather important day tomorrow, and I don't wish for him to get… caught up in the excitement. You are not to see him again." He said, sipping the liquor.

"What's going on tomorrow?" She asked curiously.

"My inner circle will be complete." He said mysteriously. She looked at him curiously, but didn't press the subject.

He dismissed her shortly afterwards. She went upstairs, and went straight to the mirror. She pulled the back of her robe down.

The dark mark larger than the one she had seen on Lucius, and covered the lower half of her back. She rubbed the irritated skin around the mark and let out a sigh. She was officially his property now, if anyone had any doubt before. Jamie sighed, and crawled into bed, lying on her stomach to stop irritating the mark.


	25. Pain is temporary?

Hey everyone! Just letting you know, I've posted a picture of a girl that is almost identical to the vision I have of Jamie on my home page, your welcome to look at it if you like, or to imagine your own character, its up to you!

Hope you enjoy the chapter! It's a dramatic one…

Jamie woke up to a shooting pain in her back. She hissed, and sat up, rubbing the new mark. Her father could have chosen a better spot to give it to her she thought sourly, getting out of bed. She pulled a robe over her head, and went downstairs, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She made her way down the stairs, check all of her father's rooms, but found no one there.

"Hello?" She called in the empty house, no one answered. Jamie felt a surge of energy enter her body. No one was home… if she was going to have any chance of getting away with Charlie, this was it. She ran down the hallway, and jumped quickly down the stairs, pulling out her wand. She mumbled the spell she had overheard her father say to open the door.

"Lumos" she said, entering the room. Charlie was standing at the far end of it, his hand's clenched into fists.

"Jamie…" He said, relaxing as she came over to him. She kissed him passionately, and he pulled her to himself, she hissed in pain as he touched her waist, and pulled away.

"Charlie, there no time… we have to leave. Now." She said, tugging his arm.

He frowned.

"Wait, they are just going to let us walk out of here?"

Jamie pulled him harder.

"No, but no one's here at the moment… Charlie, it's our only chance."

She said, dragging him from the room and up the stairs. They jogged side by side down the hallway, and Jamie opened the front door. They sprinted up the drive, hoping that she had been right about the house being empty. They made it to the gate, and Charlie slipped between the bars. Jamie followed him, but was jerked back suddenly. He looked at her, and she frowned, attempting it again. She looked at her wrist, realizing that the bracelet her father had given her was preventing her from leaving. She tried to take it off, but there was a strong magical bind on it.

"Charlie! I can get it off!" She cried panic in her voice. He frowned, and tried the clasp. They each tried a couple of spells on the bracelet, but nothing worked.

Jamie knew what she had to do.

She shoved her wand into his hands.

"Go Charlie!" She shouted at him.

He shook his head.

"No… I won't leave without you!" He said, trying in vain to open the bracelet

"Charlie, you have to!" Jamie said, starting to cry.

"They'll kill you if they find us here… go!" She cried, pushing him away.

He frowned.

"What about you? What will you do?"

" They won't kill me Charlie, he wants me alive." She said miserably.

She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please Charlie, I don't know how long we have…"

He kissed her hard on the lips, pulling her in tight.

"I'll come back for you." He whispered, pulling away from her. He went a little distance away, and looked at her sadly.

"I love you."

She nodded at him. He apparated away, with only a few moments to spare, her father appeared in the street, followed by what seemed like half of Azkaban. Many of the death eater's stared at her in shock, but she could only see her father's face. He was staring at her with murderous rage.

He motioned for the death eater's to go inside, and waited until it was only the two of them. He then walked up to her, anger present in each step he took. He slapped her hard across the face, knocking the wind out of her.

He then went through the gate, and proceeded to drag Jamie up the drive by her hair. She screamed in pain, and fought against him.

He threw her on to the gravel half way up, and pointed his wand at her.

"Crucio." He was angrily.

Jamie screamed herself hoarse, but he didn't stop the curse until she had gone completely silent. It seemed like hours for Jamie, although it was probably just minutes.

She lay face down on the gravel, her entire body shaking.

He dragged her face up by her hair, and hissed at her.

"You obviously have not learned the meaning of respect my dear."

"You don't deserve it." She croaked back, glaring at him.

He let her head go sharply, and pointed his wand at her again.

"Crucio."

It took half the amount of time for Jamie to stop struggling. He whole body ached when he released her.

"The feeling's mutual my dear… You have just cost Charlie his life!" He snarled at her. Jamie let out a hoarse laugh.

He gave her an incredulous look, but she continued laughing.

"Why did you think I was down by the gate? Charlie is GONE." She said, laughing at him again. His upper lip peeled back in a snarl.

"Crucio." He hissed again. Jamie laughed this time, she thought of Alice and Frank Longbottom, wondering how far away she was from snapping. He let go of the curse, the thought had obviously occurred to him as well.

She got up, facing him.

"What are you going to do to me? Torture me, kill me, it makes no difference. I will never be yours." She spat at his feet, waiting for the torture to come. He hit her again with the curse, and Jamie blacked out.

When Jamie woke again, the sun was shining brightly through the window. She was in her room… surprisingly. She tried to move, but let out a groan of pain, not even able to sit up in bed she was so sore. She lay there, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours.

Someone opened the door softly, but she couldn't bend her head enough to see whom… Her father came into her sight of vision, and glared down at her. She glared back at him, although it wasn't very effective, considering she couldn't get up.

"I hope the pain you are in is a lesson to you." He said after a moment.

She turned her head away from him, wishing she could roll away from him.

"If you had any sort of decency, you would put me out of my misery." She said coldly. He reached down, and forced her look at him.

"There is more than one way to break someone's will. You aren't even half as stubborn as your mother… you will break long before she ever did." He hissed at her.

"Well, you never really 'broke' her did you? She killed herself before you could." Jamie smiled maliciously up at her father. Anger flashed across his eyes, and he slapped her hard across the face, knocking the breath out of her. It jarred her body, bringing a wave of physical pain up from her toes. Her eyes rolled back in their sockets and Jamie felt like she was going to be sick. Her father chuckled darkly. She opened her eyes and sent the dirtiest look she could at him, he didn't seem to notice.

"Did you really think I would just let you walk out of here Anna?" He asked, gazing at her.

Jamie frowned, and shook her head.

"No… but I thought since you marked me..."

"You really think that I would overlook the number of years that you have spent with the Weasly's? No, I am well aware that your loyalty does not lie with myself… yet. But it will, in time Anna. It may take us another 17 years to get there, but it will." He studied her face again and sighed, the sound shocked Jamie.

"It frustrates me that we will have to waste so much time retraining you, I wonder often what you would be like if you had been raised properly."

Jamie snorted,

"Raised properly? On, you mean torturing the innocent, hating people that have muggle parents, killing… and studying the dark arts? With your parenting skills, I would have ended up dead by the time I was 5." She snarled at him.

She saw shock pass through his eyes for a moment, it was replaced with anger; he slid a pale hand into his robe, pulling out his wand.  
Jamie braced herself.

"Crucio." He snarled.

It was worse than yesterday. Her already aching muscles drew together, causing every more pain. She screamed the entire time, although the screams became silent as her vocal cords gave out. He released it after what seemed like a decade. Jamie's body shook uncontrollably, her teeth chattering together. He sat down on the bed, and Jamie winced away from him. He smiled coldly at her.

"A few more days of this, and I believe you would be willing to kill even Charlie to get rid of the pain."

She bit back a groan. A few days? He chuckled again, getting up from the bed.

"Pleasant dreams." He said, leaving Jamie alone with her misery.

He kept his word.

The days bled together as he tortured her. Eventually the spell began to dull, the pain she was in even without the curse seemed endless.

She heard the door open with a groan, but couldn't even imagine rolling over to see who it was. She stared out the window, wondering how much time had passed. Lucius came into view, holding a tray. He sat down gently on the bed, but the slight movement made Jamie gasp in pain. He shot her a look of pity.

"The dark lord says you need to eat…" He said. Answering the question she could not ask; her voice had gone silent a while ago…

He kindly lifted a spoon to her lips, pouring a hot liquid down her throat and into her empty stomach. It made her feel slightly better.

He sat there, patiently feeding her, as if she was a newborn child. When he was done, he got up carefully and exited the room. The warmth the hot soup had created left Jamie feeling sleepy; she closed her eyes, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

She awoke in the middle of the night. She felt stronger than she had in days… but that wasn't saying much. Jamie was able to roll over on the bed with only a slight groan.

Her father was sitting in a chair at the end of her bed, she could see him as she rolled over.

He got up once he realized she was awake, and came over to sit on the bed next to her. Jamie moaned as the mattress moved, he chuckled at her.

"Are you ready to apologize."

Yes. More than anything…

"No." She muttered hoarsely.

He made a tsking noise at her.

"Anna… stop acting like a child, all I am asking you for is an apology. Then the pain could go away." He said soothingly, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. The pressure drew a hiss from Jamie, but he kept his hand there.

Jamie clenched her jaw, fighting against the part of her that wanted to give in.

"I'm sorry…" She croaked. She could feel him relax beside her.

"That you're such a horrible father." She added spitefully.

He tensed up, and got up from the bed. Jamie braced herself against the pain, but the curse never came. He studied her with an expression of anger for a moment, and then walked swiftly through the door, shutting it with a slam behind himself.

Jamie sighed in relief, but couldn't help but be confused… she had just insulted him right? Jamie felt restless…. She had been lying in that bed for days on end now, and any thoughts of sleep seemed far off. Jamie groaned, and shifted on the bed. Her muscles stiffened at the movement, causing Jamie to gasp in pain. She couldn't even sit up in bed. She let out a noise of frustration, knowing that she would again spend the day staring at the ceiling.

She could see the light play across the ceiling, stretching brightly across the ceiling before retreating. Jamie felt dull and painfully bored by the time the ceiling had faded to black. The door opened again, this time with a creek. Silently, her father stood over her, looking at her with disgust. She met his eyes for only a moment before looking away. A malicious smiled spread over his face, and he brought a cold hand up to her cheek. Jamie attempted to pull away from him, but the pain was too great… she struggled against it for a moment, and then gave in, letting him touch her. He gave a low chuckle at her weak attempt of a struggle, stroking her cheek gently for a moment. He paused, resting his pale hand against her skin. She looked up into his eyes, seeing a strange gleam in the depths of his eyes. He grabbed her chin forcefully, opening her jaw up. She let out a sound of surprise, but did not try to pull away. He took out a small vial with his free hand; Jamie started struggling feebly, afraid of what the potion might do to her. Her father made an tsking noise, and smiled, pouring the liquid down her throat.

It burned for a moment, but then caused a warming sensation throughout her body. Voldemort let go of her jaw, and stood up, watching her. She looked at him anxiously, but moved her fingers and toes, checking for pain; she found none. Jamie sat up for the first time in days, her mind still waiting for the wave of pain that never came. She looked at her father warily.

"Why?" She asked, finding her voice had returned.

A devious smile spread across his features.

"In due time my dear, for now… Nacrissa will see to it that you are cleaned up." With that he strode quickly from the room, locking the door behind himself. Jamie stared after him, confused.


	26. 25 REDONE with AN at top: Your Place

Ok readers… so I had a major brain fart.. (no more writing when super hung over.. it's a good rule I think…) ok, so the story is was spinning out of control in that last chapter.. too much so even for the writer. It has been deleted, and I apologize again! I promise this will be the last time this happens!! CH 26 has been redone, I think everyone will agree that the improvements will make the story seem more realistic and keep a good plot. I really do apologize and I hope you will still read the story! J.R.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Nacrissa didn't come for her in the next hour… or the hour after that. In fact she did not appear till the next morning, by which time Jamie's nerves were all but shot. All night, she had been jumping at any sound, thinking it was the door opening. She knew her father was planning something for her… and she knew that it would most likely cause her pain.

Jamie snapped up in bed as the door opened, staring at Nacrissa with wide eyes. The woman looked at her and snorted at her obvious fright. Rolling her eyes, she came forward and grabbed Jamie's arm roughly, dragging her reluctantly from the room. She marched her down the hallway, and into the same bathroom, which Lucius had shoved her into a while ago, shutting the door behind her without a word. Jamie looked in the mirror, realizing for the first time how dirty she actually was. There was blood incrusted on her face from nosebleeds that had occurred because of the Cruciatis curse... there were deep bags under her eyes from the restless night. Her cheekbones had become very pointed, and her robes hung off of her from lack of food. She looked very thin, and very ill, shaking her head she disrobed and jumped in the shower, hoping some of the signs of her obvious neglect would fade under the steaming water. She jumped out of the shower afterwards, enjoying the feeling of clean skin. She rubbed the foggy mirror with her towel, looking at her reflection. She looked better than before, possibly because there was no longer blood incrusted on half her face. Her reflection reminded her of a muggle woman in magazines she had seen. They were so thin… she never understood how they could live like that. She had never been considered large, but never told she was overly skinny… until now. Her cheekbones seemed almost angular, making her resemblance to her father even more pronounced. She shuddered, looking away from the mirror in disgust. A knock came at the door, followed by a hand that extended clean robes to her. She put them on, noticing how much extra material there was surrounding her. She rummaged around in the drawer she had found the magical brush in yesterday, and pulled it out. A few minutes later, she was standing in front of her father, in the same room they had shared breakfast in many times before. He looked up from his paper, and smiled at her.

"Come, sit." He said firmly, pointing to the chair beside him. She strode up the hall, and sat in the chair stiffly.

He smiled at her almost kindly.

"Breakfast?" He asked.

Jamie felt her empty stomach growl.

He chuckled, making food appear.

She glared at the plate.

"Anna." He said warningly. She sighed, and pulled a piece of the toast up to her lips. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. She inhaled the piece in record time, blushing when she realized how it must have looked.

He chuckled again, and made the plate disappear as she reached for another.

"Now my dear, don't be greedy." He said teasingly, knowing perfectly well how hungry she was.

She glared at him.

"What do you want from me?" She was already tired of playing his games.

He leaned back in his chair, bridging his fingers and examined her.

"Well my dear, its not so much what I want… as what you do."

She raised her eyebrows. What she wanted?

"What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly, knowing there had to be a catch… he knew what she wanted.

"Join me." He said simply, leaning forward and staring at her hard, resting his arms on the table.

Her gaze hardened and she clenched her jaw. She opened her mouth to retort, but her cut her off.

"Join me, or watch your family die… I will kill them one by one right in front of you and I promise to make it as painful for you as it will be for them." He said, his tone cool.

Jamie couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. His smile turned cruel.

"I can take that as a yes then?" He asked. Jamie shook some of the horror off, and nodded, letting her head hang in defeat.

"Good." He said, getting up from his chair, and sliding something in front of her.

She looked down. It was a folder… She looked up at her father and he nodded, giving her silent permission to open it. It held a picture of a man, he looked to be about thirty, and was smiling and laughing at the camera. Jamie looked up at her father in confusion. He smiled cruelly down at her.

"He is you first mission. William Tresae. He works rather high up in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry. You will pursued him to join… or kill him." She let out a gasp and covered her mouth, staring up at her father in horror.

"You can't expect me to kill him!" She said in a terrified voice.

He nodded.

"Actually my dear that is exactly what I expect to happen. Unless you can change his mind on becoming a death eater."

"How do you expect me to do that?" She hissed.

He chuckled, and gave her a look up and down that made her feel violated.

"Use you imagination." He said, smiling maliciously at her. He leaned down, and kissed the top of her head.

"I have assigned two other death eaters to come along with you, just to make sure nothing… funny happens. I will not be so tolerant of your disrespect for myself any longer. It is time for you to take your rightful place." He leaned over her, and took the wrist with the snake charm into his hand. He pulled out his wand, and pricked a finger, placing the drop of blood onto the clasp. It opened, falling limply into his hand.

"It would've taken a lot more than some simple spell to unlock this." He said, holding up the bracelet.

"You will still wear it when you are at the Manor, but as you know, cannot once you leave the grounds, which you will have to do today if you wish to complete your mission." He said in the same, steady tone.

He strode to the door swiftly, pocketing the bracelet. He opened the heavy door and looked back at her.

"They shall inform you of all the other details you may need to know." He said, giving her a quick nod and disappearing out the door.

Jamie grabbed at her wrist, it was slightly raw from were the bracelet had rubbed. She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair just as two men entered. Of course; Lucius and MacNair. They both worked at the ministry, and probably knew the man she had been assigned. They sat down opposite her both had slight smirks on their faces. She shot them a glare similar to her fathers, and saw fear spring into their eyes, their face automatically set into business-like expressions.

"William frequents a pub near the Ministry, that is the ideal location to intercept the target." Lucius said smoothly.

Jamie nodded.

"He is married, but has a tendency to… wander." She nodded, knowing what he meant.

His smirk returned, he held up a bag, and held it out to Jamie.

"This will help get him alone I suspect." He said, Jamie could hear an edge of laughter in his voice.

She peaked into the bag. Oh Merlin… heels…. and lace. She closed the bag tightly before she saw anymore. She looked at the men, keeping a calm exterior.

"When do we leave?" She asked, sound casual.

"5" He said. She nodded, getting up.

"I think that's all in need to know for now." She said, giving them a final nod and leaving the room. She went up to her room and sat on the bed, torn between shock, horror, and sadness.


	27. The Road Taken

She met the two men in the entrance of the manor, hugging a long cloak around her body. Malfoy smirked at her, extending a hand.

"Now, how do you ever expect to attract William's attention wearing that?" He said. She glared at him.  
"With my wit and charm." She retorted.

He chuckled.

"I'm afraid for men like William, it takes more than just stimulating conversation to get them alone."

He motioned to her cloak. Jamie sighed, and slipped it from her shoulders. She felt more than uncomfortable under the two men's gazes. The dress she wore was very short, back and strapless. There were matching heels that Jamie stepped in clumsily, not use to the ridiculous height. She handed the cloak to Lucius who gave her a nod. He pulled a long package out of his cloak, and handed it to her.

"From your father." He said. She nodded, and tore open the package. It contained a wand 11" Willow with Unicorn Hair, same as her former one, which Charlie had taken with him. She ran her fingers along the smooth surface, sparks shot out of the end, showing its connection to its new owner. She picked it up, examining it.

"Show where exactly am I suppose to hide this?" She said, motioning to the limited about of fabric covering her body. Malfoy and MacNair chuckled; Lucius extended his hand.

"I will hold on to it, until you need it."

Jamie handed it to him, feeling a small ache in her heart as she did so. She had missed her wand, it was like an extension of her arm.

He examined her expression, pocketing her wand.

"Don't worry, you'll get you use it soon enough." He said, shooting her an ominous look. Jamie shivered.

They arrived at a pub in the center of London ten minutes later. Lucius had a hand protectively around her waist, steering her to a table full of already intoxicated males.

She could feel their gaze upon her exposed skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Ah Lucius! MacNair! Join us!" A voice called over the noise of the pub.

Lucius gave a thin-lipped smile.

"We would be happy to" he replied smoothly, sitting Jamie next to the speaker. She looked at the man. It was William. She could feel him gaze as he looked over her with lust in his eyes. Jamie felt sick. This man was almost twice her age!

"I don't believe we've met." He said silkily, placing a hand on her knee.

Jamie fought back a shudder, and smiled at him.

"William, this is Jamie, she's the daughter of a friend of mine." Lucius said before entering into a conversation with the man on the opposite side of her. Jamie frowned at him; he shot her a look back. Why had he used the name Jamie? William didn't seem to notice the exchange between them. He smiled at her, and his hand slid further up her leg.

"It's nice to meet you." He said.

He spent the next hour courting her, and drinking with the men. His hand had slowly creped up her leg, resting finally just below her very short dress. Jamie smiled seductively at him.

"Do you want to go somewhere… more private?" She asked, fluttering her lashes innocently.

He smiled at her, closing in on his prey.  
"Of course my dear." He said, pulling her up by his hand. She felt Lucius press her wand into her hand. She slid it up her dress quickly hiding it from view. She gave Lucius a fake smile.

"William and I are just going to get some air Mr. Malfoy." She said, maintaining her innocent façade. He smiled back at her, his eyes telling a different story.

"Alright my dear, see you in a bit." He said. Jamie smiled at William and nodded. He pulled her towards the door, but turned quickly at the entrance, leading her up a staircase beside it. He led her into a small room that had a bed, and a bathroom. Jamie felt like she was going to be sick. He closed and locked the door behind them, turning around and looking at her with lust. He strode forward, and embraced her roughly, kissing her on the lips. His hand wandered up her skirt, thankfully on the opposite side of her wand. Jamie played along, kissing him back and putting her arms around his neck. She dragged him to the bed, and pushed him roughly onto it, smiling deviously.

"Vixen." He moaned, as Jamie climbed on top of him. She pinned his arms underneath her knees, and pulled out her wand, running it through her fingers and smiling down at him. She felt him stiffen.

"What are you doing?" He said, his eyes not leaving the wand.

"I thought we could have a little chat." She said calmly, running her wand over his chest. His eyes widened

"About what?" He said; she could sense fear in his voice.

"My father wishes to make you an offer."

He frowned.

"Your father?"

"Yes." She said, meeting his gaze.

"He is a very powerful man, with very powerful allies. He wishes for you to join him."

"What?" His voice wavered. "Who is he?" He asked.

She raised an eyebrow.

"I believe we both know the answer to that question."

He gasped.

"You-Know-who? He's back?" The fear was now evident in his voice.

She smiled, feeling a sense of power rush through her as she looked down at the helpless man. She felt invigorated, but also feared the darkness that seemed to emerge from within her.

"My time is precious William, I need an answer from you." She said sharply, letting the wand press firmly at his throat.

Jamie saw a struggle in his eyes, his expression went back and fourth from one of panic, to one of helplessness. Finally, he turned to her, a blank expression on his face.

"No." He said firmly, gazing at her forcefully.

Jamie felt her heart sink, she sighed.

"Please… let me go. I have a family… children." He pleaded.

Jamie shook her head. She wished she could let him go, but her own family's life was at stake, she would not let them die for one man who would surely be tracked down and killed by her father… along with his own family.  
"Join him, and you will live to see them again." She said tonelessly.

He shook his head again.

"What I know… what I could tell him… would no doubt make his rise to power very simple. I will not aid him in his war of destruction." He said. Jamie looked down at the brave man. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was, but instead…

"Avada Kedavra." She said calmly, he had time to let out half a gasp before the curse hit him; Jamie saw the light leave his eyes as she climbed off of him.

Jamie was surprised how calm she felt. Her hands, which would normally be shaking, rested comfortably at her sides. Her heartbeat was not elevated, nor did she feel sick, actually, she felt great. Jamie let out a noise of disgust at herself, shaking her head. She couldn't believe she was fine with just taking a life. She felt a surge of anger towards herself, slamming the door as she exited the room. She allowed herself to be pissed off until she reached the staircase then, slipped her wand up her dress, messed her hair up a bit to play the part, at took a deep calming breath.

Once she had controlled herself, she headed down stairs. The men looked at her with leering smiles, no doubt positive their friend had just bedded her.

"What… tired him out already?" One of them jeered, causing the rest to laugh. She blushed innocently and smiled.

"Something like that." She said, battering her eyelashes.

She turned to Lucius.

"I'm tired, can we go home?" She said in a whining voice. He nodded, signaling to MacNair to get up.

"Until next time gentlemen!" He said, raising his cup and draining it. He placed a hand around Jamie's waist, and pulled her from the pub. She went to speed up her pace as she reached the street, but Malfoy pulled her back.

"Wait!" He said. Jamie shot a glare at him.

"What no—"

He pulled her into an alley beside the pub, cutting her off. Both Macnair and himself checked to see if the there was anyone else around but the alley contained only rats and the day's garbage. Lucius pulled out his wand, and pointed it to the sky.

"Morsmordre" He murmured. The dark mark appeared overhead. Jamie shivered. Lucius turned around and smiled at her, loosening his grip a bit.

"Time to go" He said pleasantly, ignoring the chaos around him that had erupted at the sight of the mark. People ran through the streets, screaming, pulling at loved ones, children buried their faces at the mark, crying openly. It made Jamie feel sick. She had caused this… all of this! She averted her gaze, walking with Malfoy to their apparition point.

Nacrissa opened the door for them when they arrived.

She nodded to the three of them, taking Lucius and MacNair's coats; she spoke to Jamie as she was doing so.

"My lord is in the main sitting room. He wishes to see you." She said stiffly. Jamie nodded, not meeting any of their gazes as she walked quickly towards the room. Her father was seated by the fire in one of the large chairs twisting his wand mindlessly between his fingers; he looked up at her only once she was seated. His eyes twinkled with delight; it made her want to shiver.

"I have been informed that my mark was present over a little pub near the Ministry tonight." He said, smiling genuinely at her. It was strange; she had never seen a real smile on her father before… it looked out of place. She gazed into his blood red eyes and nodded.

"He did not take your offer." She said numbly.

He gave a small chuckle.

"He never intended to my dear, I can assure you. This was more of a test of your loyalty, and your desire to keep your family out of harm's way. You did not disappoint Anna." He said, a smile dancing with malice on the edges of his lips.

She nodded at him, averting her gaze.

He held out a hand towards her.

"Your wand my dear." He said calmly.

Jamie had forgotten that she still had it. She reached into her dress, noticing the smile play across her father's lips as she did so. She held it out to him, and her took it. She tried to withdraw from his hand, but he held onto her wrist. Removing the wand with his free hand he placed it in his robe, pulling out the emerald bracelet she had worn before. He snapped it carefully onto her wrist, letting her pull back once it was in place. He smiled at her.

"Well done Anna, rest well. I shall see you tomorrow."

Knowing she was dismissed, Jamie hurried up to her room, closing the door quickly. She changed out of the horrid dress and heels, her feet screaming at her then collapsed on the bed, exhausted. She hadn't done this much in the two months she had been there, which left her feeling drained. Jamie fell into dark dreams; William's fading eyes haunted her.


	28. Almost

Hey everyone! I am so sorry this update is about a month late! I kind of lost the drive behind the story, but one good night of watching HP does wonders for writers block : ) Anyways… I hope you enjoy!

J.R

…

Jamie woke to a knock the next day. Her eyes snapped open as Bellatrix entered the room, a familiar smirk on her pale face. Jamie's eyes narrowed as she sat up in bed, folding her arms stiffly over her chest.

"Yes?" She asked coldly.

She saw Bellatrix's mouth falter a bit from its ugly expression. It made Jamie internally smile to know that she could stir fear into her father's followers.

"The Dark Lord will be away for the next few days, he asked Lucius to take you into town tonight, as a sort of reward." Bellatrix said, her gaze becoming malicious as she hinted at the William's death during the previous night.

Jamie's gut gave an unpleasant lurch as she remembered the night's events. Bellatrix's smirked widened into a smile as she saw Jamie's discomfort.

She turned towards the door once again.

"Lucius will be waiting for you in the entrance at 8." She said curtly, walking out the door; Jamie noticed that she left it open; giving Jamie silent permission to wander around the mansion and grounds… or as far as the bracelet would let her. Jamie sighed and ran a hand through her hair, jumping out of the bed. She decided that a long shower was what she wanted most right now. She padded towards the bathroom. Half an hour later, feeling cleaner.. at least on the outside. She had scrubbed herself raw, hoping that some of her memories might fall away with the soap and warm water, but she was unsuccessful. Jamie toweled off her hair as she looked in the wardrobe. She had a choice of black robes or… black robes. Letting out a sigh, Jamie threw the wet towel onto the bed and stepped into a set of them.

Jamie spent the majority of the day avoiding as much contact with death eaters as she could which was a feat in itself, considering the house was swarming with them. She ended up settling down in the library, hoping to find a book that might help her get the bracelet off, just in case she ever got the chance. She found a book on cursed objects, and settled into a chair facing towards a large window where the bright light was pouring in. Jamie stared out into the lawn beyond the glass, wondering what the date was exactly. How long had she been missing for? The snow had melted away, and the grass was beginning to turn a shade of green. Jamie tried in vain to count the days, but they blended together, especially in the places where she couldn't get out of bed. Thinking of those horrible days made Jamie shudder. She opened the book and settled into the chair, hoping to distract herself.

She had gotten through the section of strange attraction to objects with no success, when she heard a set of footsteps come into the room. Jamie shrunk down into the seat, hoping that they would leave soon. She heard the footsteps draw level with her chair, only a few feet away from herself. Jamie couldn't help looking up. She gazed at the death eater with mingled shock and horror.

"Snape?" She hissed, jumping up and knocking the book she was reading to the floor. The man jumped back in surprise, drawing his wand and pointing it at her. They stared at each other for a moment; Jamie's eyes narrowed dangerously, as Snape's widened in recognition.

"Anna." He said, stowing his wand in his robe. Jamie walked forward, quickly closing the gap between them and slapped him hard across the face.

He gave a small gasp of surprise, a hand extended up towards the place she had struck him. Jamie stepped towards the door, disgusted by the man that she had trusted… that her family had trusted… that Dumbledore had trusted. She felt a hand grab her wrist and jerk her back. She swirled to face the man again, raising her free hand up to strike him again, but he grabbed that one as well.

"We trusted you!" She spat at him, looking at him with all the malice she had. He shrank back slightly, but recovered a moment later, raising his eyebrow at her.

"To whom do you refer?" He asked calmly, although he already knew the answer.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she yanked her grasp from the man. She took a few steps from him, and stopped crossing her arms over her chest.

"If you hurt even one hair on my family… I will kill you." She murmured dangerously at him. He smiled at her.

"Anna, I can assure you that no one will harm your fathe—"

"You know who I meant." She hissed at him. He looked at her for a moment, and then gave a stiff nod.

Jamie relaxed slightly, inclining her chin. They stood in silence for a moment, and then Jamie swiftly made her way to the door, Snape made no attempt to stop her.

Jamie spent the remainder of the day in her room, angry with Snape and herself for forgetting the book she had been reading.

When it was quarter to eight, Jamie headed down to the entrance, finding Lucius already there. He smiled coldly at Jamie, who returned it with a glare.

"So why exactly does he want me to go out?"

Lucius stepped towards her, taking her wrist with the bracelet firmly in his hand.

"It's not good to lock up prisoner's with nothing to do, it gives them too much time to think." He said, pulling out a vial. Uncorking it, he poured a drop of the liquid onto the latch of the bracelet, causing it to fall open. He quickly pulled it away from her wrist, and placed it in a pocket inside his robe. He gave a stiff nod to her, walking towards the door. He opened it, and glanced back at Jamie.

"Your father wished for me to tell you to behave tonight, needless to say one of those red-headed blood traitors you love will pay if you don't."

Jamie gave a quick nod, and followed him out to the apparition point.

Jamie looked around in surprise, realizing they had apparated into the middle of London. She was quite shocked that her father would let her come here with only one death eater, she heard Lucius chuckle behind her, obviously knowing what she was thinking.

"I think he sees this, as a test of your character… are you really as self- sacrificing as you seem? Or is it just that you haven't been given a fair chance to leave. Either way Anna, I hope you realize that he would find you, and bring you back. No matter your choice." Lucius said, starting forward. Jamie looked at him for a moment, and then started after him, keeping pace beside him.

He looked at her with a malicious twinkle in his eyes.  
"Now, lets have a nice evening, shall we?"

Jamie gave a stiff nod, and looked around… despite the foul company, she was actually enjoying the change of scenery. She had never realized how much she took her freedom for granted before.. Walking around without a glance at the unique shops, and interesting people. Lucius grabbed her arm after a few minutes of walking, and directed her into a pub. From the outside, it looked just like a run down grungy bar but inside it was warm, and cozy. Wizards and witches chattered over butter beer and other drinks. Lucius directed her to an empty table, and sat her down.

"Stay here." He said firmly, walking towards the bar. Jamie looked around, many of the people looked to be Ministry workers, she couldn't help wanting to ask for their help. Jamie sighed, and placed her head on her hand, still observing the witches and wizards when she came across two heads of red hair… Her heart lurched in her chest as she stared at the two heads, one of them turned so that they were facing towards her. It was George. She saw him laugh at something Fred said, but then his eyes focused on her. She saw the smile leave his face, and utter disbelief replace it.

He got up, without looking at Fred, and came towards her cautiously, as if she might bolt at the slightest wrong movement. He came and sat opposite her, his mouth still hanging open. She saw Fred appear beside him a moment later.

They sat in silence for a few moments, taking each other in.

"J-J-Jamie?" Fred asked, his voice quivering.

Jamie nodded, not sure what to say.

"Is he here?" George asked, looking around. Jamie shook her head. She saw some of the tension leave their bodies.

"Lucius is." She said quietly, glancing towards the bar. Lucius was still trying to get drinks.

"We have to get you out of here." George said, getting up quickly and making his seat Scrap very loudly across the floor. Jamie shot a look towards the bar, wondering if Lucius had heard it… He had. When he caught sight of the twins, she saw his hand dive into his pocket, reaching for what she thought was his wand. Instead, she felt an almost crippling pain shoot through her back. She let out a gasp of pain, and curled forward. George bent down beside her with concern.

"Jamie we have to go!" He said, pulling her to her feet. That's when she remembered the mark… her father was coming. The death eaters were coming. Lucius appeared at her other side a few moments later, taking hold of her other arm.

"I don't think so." He hissed, his hand clenching down painfully on her arm and making Jamie wince. Jamie looked sadly to both her brothers; a dozen death eaters were probably within a few blocks of here….

She looked between the two brothers she cared so deeply about, tears in her eyes.

"I can't…." She choked out, shaking her head as tears poured down her face.

Both the twin's eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"I wish I could… but I can't. Tell mom and dad I love them." She said, tugging her arm as gently as she could from George's grasp. Lucius immediately started them both towards the door; Jamie let him guide her forward for a few steps, but then stopped again. He shot her a look.

Jamie turned around and looked at the twins which were both staring after her.

"Charlie?" She said loud enough for them to hear.

"Is he ok?"

Fred gave a nod. Jamie felt a wave of relief pass through her. He was ok. She nodded to them, and let Lucius tug her out the door. They made it half a block, when suddenly…

"Stupify!" Someone cried from behind them, the curse knocked Lucius off his feet, leaving Jamie standing in the middle of the road. She saw Fred and George start towards her, they weren't alone; Lupin, and Tonks stood there too. She saw another curse fire behind her, this time towards her four friends.

She spun around, seeing half a dozen cloaked death eaters coming towards her.

"Jamie! Run!" Lupin yelled at her. The two sides started firing curses at each other, nothing greater than stunning spells, obviously afraid of one hitting her.

Jamie ran as fast as she could towards them, but heard a voice sound behind her.

"Stupify!" Lucius boomed, pointing his wand at her. Jamie felt the spell hit her squarely in the back, time seemed to slow down as she fell towards the street and saw the shocked faces of her brothers.

Then… nothing.


	29. Connections

Jamie's head felt very fuzzy when she woke, she kept her eyes closed. Had it all been a dream? Silently, she prayed it wasn't, and that she was sleeping in the burrow. She shifted her body on the bed, trying toy decide if it was her bed or not, and rubbed the sheets. She could feel her heart sink, the sheets weren't the familiar scratchy ones that she knew… nor was the bed lumpy. She opened her eyes and felt a sinking sensation in her chest. She looked around the room she had spent so many days in the last few months, her father was sitting in a chair on the end of her bed, looking at her through narrowed eyes.

Jamie stiffened, and looked down at her hands. He said nothing.

The silence weighed heavily on Jamie.

" I thought you were away on business for a few days…" She murmured, not looking up.

"I was." She could hear the dangerous edge to his voice.

"I…. I didn't know they were going to be there." She said quietly.

"I know. I have already gone through your memories of the night Anna."

He said. Anger imbedded in his tone.

The silence was painful as she waited for her father to speak.

"What was your plan Anna? After you ran away?" He already knew the answer… he had gone through her thoughts… he just wanted her to say it out loud.

"I didn't have one." Jamie murmured tonelessly.

"And how long… did you think you could outrun myself with no plan?"

She didn't answer him… there was no point. She tangled her hands up in the sheets, uncomfortable.

"Look at me Anna." He said firmly.

Jamie's looked up at him, faltering as she met his blood colored eyes. His gaze made her feel like a naughty child.

"I am out of patience Anna, if you were not my daughter you would be dead long ago. I will not tolerate your displays of disobedience any longer. Do not bring my full wrath upon yourself my dear; I can do far worse things to you than the Cruciatus curse."

He looked at her for a moment, something in his eyes told Jamie he wasn't kidding. Then, he pulled out his wand; Jamie had to fight the urge to wince away from it. Her father saw this, and an evil smile touched the corners of his mouth.

"My death eater's time is not to be wasted Anna, for that… you will be punished."

Jamie prepared herself for the pain, and she wasn't disappointed.

"_Crucio."_ Her father said simply.

Jamie collapsed onto the bed, her body convulsing as the spell ran through her. Screams ripped from her throat at the stabbing knives of pain paralyzed her. He held it only for a few moments, and then released her. Jamie lay on the bed, trying to catch her breath. Her father stared at her in silence for a moment, then got out of the chair, walking swiftly to the door, he stopped as he reached it, turning around so Jamie could see him.

"I must return to my business now. You will not leave this room unsupervised until my return. Do not bring me back a second time Anna, you will regret it." His tone told her he wasn't kidding…

He looked at her for another moment, and then exited the room silently, locking the door behind himself.

Jamie couldn't help breathe a sigh of relief when she heard the lock turn… she had survived almost unscathed… quite a feat when it came to her father. At least she didn't have to see him for a few days… with nothing else to do, Jamie sunk back into the bed, closing her eyes and letting a restless sleep take her.

She was woken up a few hours later by the sound of someone unlocking the door.

Lucius came in, glaring at her. Jamie blinked the sleep out of her eyes for a moment, and glared right back at him.

He was carrying a tray with some watery soup on it, and stale bread.

He set it down on the desk across the room from herself, and walked towards the door.

"I told you not to try anything stupid." He said, still glaring at her.

"Well I didn't expect them to show up last night; and incase you hadn't noticed, I was following you." She snapped back at him.

"Right up until the point when you started to run towards them, or did you forget that detail?" He snarled back. Jamie said nothing, but glared at him.

He shot her another angry look, and then stormed out of the room shutting the door behind with a bang and locking it with angry muttering.

Jamie glared at the closed door for a moment, then laid back down. She didn't really feel like eating… her stomach was turning already and somehow she doubted the stale bread would sit well at the moment. She laid in bed for a while, hoping that she could sleep a little bit more, but was too worked up and had already overslept. Jamie reluctantly got up, and padded over to the bookshelf, grabbing a random dark arts book off the shelf. She then went over to the closed windows and threw them open. The sun shone brightly in the mid day sky, and it warmed Jamie's skin, even through the window. It was one of those days that she would have spent down by the lake after classes with friends, laughing as they made a weak attempt to tackle homework. The thought made her sad, she should be there right now… not locked up in the Malfoy's mansion. She placed a hand against the glass, as if hoping to make it disappear.. But no such luck. Jamie sighed and pulled the chair her father had used towards the window, at least she could be in the sunlight.

The next days passed painfully slow as she waited for her father to return. By the time the third day rolled around Jamie jump anytime someone came into the room, wondering if it was her father, but it was always just someone to drop off a meal. On the fourth day, Jamie sat by the window once again, reading a book on ancient spells when she heard the door open. She didn't bother turning around, seeing as it was mid day (from what she could tell, looking at the sun's position in the sky) and it was just another death eater dropping off a meal. But she didn't hear the familiar footsteps being walked, nor the dropping of a tray. She heard her father clear his throat, making Jamie jump and drop her book. She got up and picked up the book, turning to face him. His eyes slit in annoyance, and Jamie cast her gaze downwards.

"_Come."_ He said in Parseltongue, gesturing towards the door. Jamie followed him out, not sure where he was leading her. He went swiftly down the stairs, and led her to the study he had taught her in a while ago. They passed a few death eaters along the way, all of them bowed low as they saw their master approaching. Jamie noticed that he didn't even take a second glance at them. His arrogance disgusted her. He led her into the study he had spent a few days teaching her in earlier that year. He sat down behind the large desk, and motioned for her to sit in a wooden chair on the opposite side.

"We have been slack in your studies over the past two months. But no more, it seems you need more discipline in the dark arts in order to live up to your potential." He said, pulling a book on the desk towards Jamie.

"You will use this book to continue your studies when I am away on business." He said curtly, getting up from behind the desk.

"But for now, you will be studying the art of dueling. Come." He said once again, getting up from the desk, and walking swiftly out the door. Jamie grabbed the book and walked quickly after him.

He led her out the front door, pulling his hood up; and led her to the middle of the lawn. A few death eaters came out, curious to what their lord was doing.

"Lucius." Voldemort called, seeing the death eater among the gathering crowd. The man came forward and bowed deeply.

"I wish for Anna to practice her dueling. You will oppose her today." Lucius bowed again.

"Yes my lord." He murmured, getting up and facing Jamie. Her father walked over to her, and withdrew her wand from his robe, handing it to her.

"Have you dueled before Anna?" He asked.

She shook her head. He smiled.

"Follow my instructions and you will be fine." He said curtly. Jamie nodded, and set her book down on the side of the lawn.

"Now, you may not use the killing curse during this duel at any time. Any other spell may be used though. Agreed?" Voldemort said, challenging anyone to disagree.

Lucius and Jamie gave a nod, facing each other.

Lucius started, giving an elegant bow.

"_Bow Anna."_ Her father said from the sidelines in Parseltongue. Jamie gave a quick bow.

"Begin!" Voldemort said loudly. Lucius fired two curses quickly at Jamie; she blocked one and dived out of the way of the other.

"_Use Crucio." _Her father hissed in Parseltongue.

She did, but Lucius stepped easily out of the way, firing another curse at her.

"Expelliarmus!" She cried, just as the curse came flying at her, she barley managed to get out of the way, although it managed to nick her arm, causing it to bleed.

He dodged the spell but stumbled on something.

"Crucio!" Jamie cried again. The spell hit its mark, and Lucius collapsed to the ground with a cry of pain. She released him after a moment, panting.

There was silence among the death eaters; Jamie saw a few mouths hanging open in shock. Her father started clapping. He looked like a proud father as he came over to her.

"Well done Anna!" He said proudly.

Jamie looked down, uncomfortable with the praise.

"He tripped…" She murmured. He nodded.

"Yes, but in a real duel he could have made the same mistake. Except now… he would be dead." He said lightly. Jamie could see a few people gather around Lucius, helping him to his feet.

"I think that's all for today my dear, you have done well." Her father said, taking the wand from her grasp. Jamie nodded.

"Be in the study at 9 tomorrow." He said, dismissing her. Jamie nodded and gave a little bow, speeding off towards the house.

Jamie went up to the bathroom, and took a clean towel from the rack. She pulled back her sleeve to see how big the gash was. It wasn't large, although it was bleeding consistently. She ran her arm under the water, getting off the crusted blood from around the wound. Looking down into the sink full of pink water, she had an idea. Slipping her sleeve of the other hand up, she grasped the bracelet in her hand. Then, she let the blood of her injured arm drip onto the clasp. It opened. Jamie looked at the bracelet in shock. Surely it couldn't be that easy… but there it was, hanging limply in her hand. Oh course! She did share her father's blood after all! How could she be so stupid? The discovery made her giddy with pleasure. She snapped the bracelet back into place, and continued washing her arm. Plotting her escape.


	30. Consequences

The days turned into weeks as Jamie plotted her escape, trying to find any time where she was alone. She knew in order to escape she would need one of two things to happen: One- Her father forget to take her wand away after one of his lessons, or two- she could find some floo powder, and use a lit fireplace to get out of there; the first one sounded more likely, although her father was very attentive and never forgot to take it away. Jamie became restless, knowing that freedom was just out of arms reach. From what she could discover, it was late April or early May. Although there were never any papers lying around, Jamie believed it was one way her father liked to control her, even if it was almost insignificantly small. Every day at nine, she would meet her father down in the study, and they would duel, or practice spells of his choosing. If he was unable to, Jamie would spend her time in the library, reading his assigned books. He allowed her access to the library, the surrounding property, and her room. Jamie spent much of her time wandering around in the bright spring days, but felt a building frustration, her plan was set, but she could not act on it. Hiding her feelings from her father had to be the most challenging part. She often saw him looking at her, as though he wished to read her thoughts, but with no grounds for doing so, he remained only wary. Jamie could feel the tension between them building, and it was only a matter of time before he found some reason to invade her mind. She knew if she were going to act, it would have to be within a week.

It was a bright spring afternoon; her father had finished his lesson on cursed objects with her, and let her wander the grounds. She was strolling along the fence line, brushing up against the large hedges that bordered it when a voice startled her.

"Jamie!" She heard someone hiss through the bushes. She froze, looking around. None of the death eaters were outside right now, but she couldn't be sure they weren't watching.

"I have to keep walking, follow me.. I know a place where they can't see." She hissed back. She walked quickly along the fence, hoping they could keep up. She had found a place that you couldn't see from the house; it was right behind a large oak tree, but it was only a few feet wide. She crossed into the spot, and slipped into the bushes. She looked around for a moment, wondering if it was her imagination, then two heads appeared out of no where. Fred and George grinned at her as they pulled off the invisibility cloak. She smiled at them.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" She said genuinely.

"No time for that lovey-dovey crap." Fred said, rolling up his sleeves and pulling out a vial. He poured it onto three of the metal bars of the fence, causing them to melt away, making a hole large enough for her to fit through.

George held a hand out.

"Come on!" He hissed.

"Wait a moment!" She whispered back.

"Do you have a knife? Or anything sharp?"

They both exchanged looks which questioned her sanity. Jamie rolled her eyes.

"Not now guys! I don't know how much time we have!" She said anxiously. Fred handed her a small pocketknife through the gap.

"I don't know why you nee—" Fred let out a gasp as Jamie sliced her finger open. She rolled her eyes at him again.

"Watch." She said, rolling up her sleeve and exposing the bracelet.

She pressed the bleeding finger to the latch and it sprang open.

"Wow, we were just going to pour instant acid on it.. but that seems much safer." Fred said thoughtfully. Jamie flung the bracelet to the ground and climbed out after them. They tucked the invisibility cloak over the three of them, and they jogged a few paces away from the house. Jamie grabbed Fred's arm and together all three of them apparated away.

They landed in front of the Order's headquarters, and quickly went up the steps. Fred knocked once, and Sirius opened the door, letting them in without a word. Jamie sighed, feeling relief she hadn't felt in months. She jumped on her brothers, and hugged them tightly. They made feeble noises of protest, but Jamie could tell how much they missed her. She pulled away after a few minutes, they all wore matching grins, Sirius let out a barking laugh and pulled Jamie into a hug.

"We though we lost you kiddo." He said, pulling away from her after a moment.

"Yah, we didn't even realize that you were on our side until Charlie came back." Fred said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She smiled at him, and then heard a shriek come from the kitchen, causing the portrait to go off. The next thing she knew, her mother was hugging her in the tightest grip she could muster, and bawling. Jamie hugged her back, trying to calm her down.

"Mom its ok… its ok.." She said soothingly, patting her mom on the back. She looked around at the boys for help, but they just shot her looks of sympathy and shot off to the kitchen. It took ten minutes of comforting for her mom to finally calm down enough to join them in the kitchen. She sat down in a chair as her mother fussed about her.

"Look at how skinny you are! What did they feed you there?" Jamie shrugged, looking down at her hands. The four of them fell silent, looking at Jamie. She didn't like the silence, it reminded her of how much time she had spent in it over the past few months. She suppressed a shudder, and then looked at the twins.

"Wait… aren't you suppose to be at Hogwarts?" They snorted, and their mom glared at them menacingly. Jamie raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"We'll tell you later." George said, giving a devious smile towards her.

"Alright… so is there anything else I can be filled in on?" She asked.

They spent the next half an hour filling her in on what she had missed in her months away. When they had finished, she asked the question that had been itching to ask.

"What's the date?" She said. They exchanged looks. Jamie shrugged.

"They never let me know…" She said.

"Its May 2nd." Sirius said. Jamie's eyebrows shot up.

"I've been gone for five months?" She asked seriously.

She could see the awkward expressions the twins took on, avoiding her gaze… her mothers eyes welled up with tears again, Sirius's brow knit together. Jamie knew it was going to be a while before things really got back to normal.

"Dad will be home for dinner tonight." Molly said, busying herself around the kitchen.

"Why don't you three go upstairs? I'll call you when dinner's ready." Fred and George nodded and pulled Jamie up the stairs after them. They took her into the same room where she had told them who her father was, and sat on the bed opposite to her.

Jamie sighed, and lay down on the bed, looking at the ceiling. She felt a burning sensation on her mark, and let out a hiss of pain, arching away from it.

He knew she was gone. Jamie felt a shiver run down her spine, imagining her father's anger.

"Jamie?" Fred said, looking at her with concern. Jamie started, remembering where she was. She sat up and looked at them with a feeble smile.

"Sorry…"

"What happened?" George asked. Jamie realized how odd her reaction must have been. She looked at him, remembering the months of pain, of fear.

"I can't…"

Fred held out a hand to stop her.

"It's ok Jamie, just know we're here when you want to talk." He said. Jamie nodded.

They kept the subjects light, they talked about their joke shop; about the day they left Hogwarts. It made Jamie laugh more than she had in five months. Their mom came up what seemed like such a short time later, a smile on her face.

"Dinner's ready." She said, almost skipping out of the room.

Jamie and the twins rolled their eyes identically, and laughed, following her out of the room. They went down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Her father was talking to her mother, but when he walked into the room he stopped and looked at her. Jamie smiled and ran towards him, jumping into his open arms.

"Dad!" She laughed as he squeezed her tightly, tears leaking from the corners of both their eyes.

He let her go and held her at arms length, looking at her with disbelief.

"I can't believe your home." He whispered, wiping the tears away.

She hugged him again.

"I am." She smiled, as her mother pried her from her father's arms and put her firmly in a chair.

"Eat." She ordered, spooning out large portions of chicken, potatoes, and salad onto her plate.

She did, she ate as much as she possibly could; which amounted to about half of what she used to be able to. It was just her, dad, mom, Sirius and the twins for dinner. She sat back and let the conversation bubble around her, enjoying the sleepy contentment that the warm company and food brought.

Dumbledore came in just as her mom had cleared away the last plate. He looked towards Jamie with a kind smile.

"Jamie, could I talk to you in the living room for a moment?"

She nodded and got up, walking into the living room and sitting on the couch. Dumbledore sat down beside her.

"Jamie, I know you have been through a lot today already, but I want to ask you if there was anything you saw while you were there, that could help the order in any way." He looked at Jamie with soft blue eyes over his half moon spectacles.

She nodded.

"Snape… he's—"

"Professor Snape is still working for the order, but he is also working for Voldemort, but only to provide us with as much information as he can."

Jamie nodded, and looked down at her hands.

"I'm sorry. When I saw him, I thought—"

"You don't have to apologize Jamie. Anyone would have thought the same thing in your position. Is there anything else?"

Jamie nodded, looking down at her hands.

"I- I've done things.." She said

Dumbledore nodded.

"Snape has already informed me about William, and the muggle you killed. Jamie, you might as well have been under the Imperius curse. No one will blame you for those murders… it wasn't your fault."

Jamie nodded, though she didn't fully believe him.

"He marked me…" She whispered, she saw the shock in Dumbledore's eyes. He reached for her left sleeve, pulling it up. She shook her head as he saw the bare skin.

"No… he said that he didn't want my brand to mark me as an equal to his followers… he wanted to show them that I was special." Jamie pulled up the back of her shirt, turning around. She heard Dumbledore's breath catch as he saw the mark.

"C-can you do anything about it?" She asked, turning around.

Dumbledore looked at her with sad eyes.

"I'm afraid we can't Jamie… but count your blessings, at least you can hide the mark easily." He said; Jamie nodded.

Dumbledore got up, patting Jamie on the arm.

"I would be careful about who I show the mark to… people may not be so sympathetic if they did not know your full story." He said, turning towards the door.

"Thank you." Jamie said, looking at Dumbledore seriously. She saw his eye dance with amusement as he turned back to look at her.

"Whatever for?" He asked, looking at her with a curious expression.

"I understand fully now…why you took me away from him 15 years ago, I owe you my life." Jamie said, looking at him with tears in her eyes. Dumbledore smiled at her, and kissed the top of her head.

"You are most welcome my dear." He said, looking over her shoulder towards the door with an amused expression.

"Now, if I am not mistaken, someone would like to say hello." He said, getting up from the chair. Jamie followed him, turning around. Charlie stood in the doorway, his mouth hanging open shock. Dumbledore passed by him, and whispered something in his ear; Charlie nodded and turned back to her. They heard the kitchen door close with an audible thunk. Charlie covered the distance between them in three long strides, and took her into his arms kissing her deeply. She pulled his head closer to her, wrapping her hands around his neck. He wrapped his own around her waist, pulling her up and twirling her in a circle. Jamie broke the kiss and laughed, breathing deeply. He looked at her with worry, with love. Jamie placed her hand on his cheek.

"I'm never letting you go." He murmured, kissing her again. Jamie closed her eyes and tangled her hands in his hair when she heard a choking sound coming from the door. Charlie's eyes sprang open taking in her own shocked ones as they turned around. Their father was standing in the doorway, his face turning a bright shade of red. Jamie felt her face flush in a deep shade of crimson, Charlie's ears turned red beside her. Their dad looked like a fish out of water… his mouth opening and closing as his features shifted from shock, to anger. Charlie kept an arm wrapped protectively wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Dad…"Charlie said

"What… what's going on?" He asked, as if he hadn't seen what they were just doing.

Just to make matters worse, their mother appeared beside their already enraged father.

"Arthur… what is it?" Molly said, looking at her husband with concern.

Jamie could see a vein bulging in her father's head. Before, that would have scared her. But after everything she'd been through, it was almost laughable.

"I'll tell you what Molly! I just caught our SON snogging our DAUGHTER!" He yelled, pointing at Jamie and Charlie as he turned a shade of violet. She heard running footsteps and Fred and George appeared a moment later.

"What!" They said in unison.

Their mother was speechless, but Jamie was sure they would get a mouthful once she got over the shock.

"Mom." Charlie said cautiously, tightening his grip on Jamie.

Their mother raised a shaking hand, pointing with a finger towards the couch.

"Sit." She said, sounding almost as dangerous as her father. Charlie steered her towards the couch.

"No." Their mother snapped behind them.

"Jamie, sit in a chair." Jamie winced, and pulled away from Charlie, looking at him with an ache in her heart, she could see it mirrored in his eyes.

"Out." She heard her mother say to the twins forcefully, for once they didn't argue.

Their parents sat in chairs by the fireplace; their dad was holding the bridge of his nose and was trying to control his breathing.

Jamie heard footsteps behind her, in the doorway.

"Molly, Arthur, is everything alright?" Dumbledore asked lightly from the door.

"No Albus, everything is not alright!" Her mother snapped at him, Jamie had never seen her so mad.

"Oh… I see." Dumbledore said, coming into the room, and sitting beside Charlie on the couch.

"I take it you know about these two then?" He said, looking between Jamie and Charlie.

"You - you knew?"

"Yes, I found them in a rather… compromising position when I went to fetch Jamie from Romania last summer." Dumbledore said.

"She's your sister!" Her mother cried at Charlie. Jamie saw him staring down at his hands.

"Molly.. they are young, they're in lo—"

"Don't say it Albus." Her mother said warningly.

"But we are!" Jamie said, getting to her feet and looking at her mother with defiance.

"Jamie… you're too young, you don't know what you're sa—"

"Yes, actually I do. I almost died to save Charlie's life... I wasn't able to move for a week after Voldemort was done with me." Jamie kept her gaze on the floor, the horrifying week she had spent incapacitated flashed before her eyes.

"Mom, the night Jamie freed me… the night I had to leave her in the hands of those evil men.. my heart broke. I thought I had just said goodbye to my love, I felt as though my soul ripped in two. That's why it took me so long to recover, and why I did everything I could to find a way for her out of there. And now that I have her back, nothing you can say is going to change our feelings." Charlie said, coming over to Jamie, he cupped her chin gently and kissed her on the lips, earning a horrified squeak from Molly.

"They remind me of a couple I once taught at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said after a moment, his tone was almost conversational.

"The mother's family disapproved strongly to the boy, but they were madly in love… they ended up marrying shortly after school." Dumbledore said, looking at Molly sternly over his half moon spectacles.

"Molly… you and I both know that there is nothing that can stand between those we love, even if they are not who our parents wished for us to marry."

Molly blushed, and looked down, Arthur wore an uncomfortable gaze as he looked at Jamie wrapped in Charlie's arms.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, waiting for Molly to speak. Jamie felt as nervous as she had the day of her trail last summer, and fidgeted in her love's arms; Charlie stroked her hand soothingly, and kissed her hair softly.

"Alright." Molly said a moment later, admitting defeat. Dumbledore smiled.

"But I want you sleeping in separate rooms!" She said, pointing a finger at Charlie accusingly.

"She is still young, and although you are my son she is also my daughter, and I will not have you taking advantage of her under this roof!" She said sternly. Jamie and Charlie nodded... although Jamie had to stifle a giggle.

Molly slumped back in her chair.

"I think I need a strong cup of tea…" She said, looking at her husband.

"A cup of fire whiskey I suppose?" She said to him, not waiting for the answer. He still seemed to be in shock, although the vein in his forehead had stopped pulsing…

Molly bustled from the room, fetching the drinks.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he stood up.

"Well, I think that I am going to call it a night… all this excitement has tired me out." He said, tipping his hat to Arthur.

"Goodnight all!" He said, stepping towards into the fireplace and vanishing.

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Charlie… Jamie… are you sure about this?" Their father asked rather calmly. They nodded, he sighed.

Jamie yawned, realizing how exhausted she was… it had been one of the most tiring days she had experience this year.

"I think I have to go to bed…" Jamie said, pulling herself from Charlie's grasp.

"Goodnight dad." She said, kissing her father on the forehead and pulling him into a hug. He grumbled for a moment, and then hugged her back.

She kissed Charlie quickly and left the room.

Fred and George were not in the hallway… thank Merlin. But she did meet her mother on the way to the staircase.

She could tell her mom was still upset from the way she only nodded to Jamie, without hugging her goodnight. Jamie sighed.

"We tried to fight it mom… we did. It just happened."

Molly sighed, and turned to Jamie.

"I know my dear… just give me a few days to digest it." Her mother said, coming back and kissing her on the forehead.

"Pleasant dreams." Her mother murmured, turning back around. Jamie smiled at her, and headed up the staircase.

She climbed into bed a few minutes later… sleep engulfed her instantly.


	31. Bedtime Stories

_Jamie opened her eyes, smiling to herself… she was hom—wait… She looked around the room. It was the same bedroom she had spent the last five months in. No… it had all been a dream? Jamie shook her head, tears leaking out from under her closed eyelids. _

"_Anna." A cold, high-pitched voice called from behind the bed. She opened her eyes to see her father, his eye narrowed in irritation._

"_Was… was is all a dream then?" She asked, trying to sound sane._

"_No." He said; she could feel the anger radiating off of him in waves. Jamie frowned._

"_Then… this is a dream?"_

"_I think that was implied." He snapped, walking around to the right side of the bed. Jamie cowered away from him as he reached towards her, slapping her hard across the cheek._

_She let out a gasp; it felt as though he had actually slapped her. He pulled her hair back, making Jamie whimper._

"_You dare run away from me?" He hissed. Jamie could feel her hands shaking, she opened and closed her mouth, not sure what to say._

_He looked at her with malice in his eyes, and released her head, pulling out his wand._

"_Crucio." He snarled. _

_Jamie let out a blood-curdling scream as she writhed on the bed; he held it longer than he ever had before, only releasing her once she had collapsed. She couldn't believe that the spell still worked in her dreams… She sat up painfully, and looked up at her father. He let out a noise of disgust and swept to the other side of the room._

_He did not speak for a long time, keeping his back to her. Jamie stared down at her hands, fighting back the terror that threatened to grip her._

"_I will find you Anna, and when I do.. you will regret it." He said after the long silence, his voice menacing. He shot her one more murderous look, and strode from the room, slamming the door behind himself._

Jamie woke gasping for breath… a cold sweat covered her entire body. She opened her eyes, and found a large blue pair, inches from her own. She started, but a gentle hand pushed her down. Albus stood up after a moment, concern etched on his face. She looked around, seeing everyone in the house was also there, wearing similar expressions as Dumbledore.

He sat down on the bed, and placed a hand on her leg.

"Was it Voldemort?" He asked calmly.

Jamie nodded, biting her tongue to stop the tears that threatened to come.

"Jamie, I need you to tell me everything that happened." He said, his expression serious.

She gave a quick nod, which he returned, then he turned to the onlookers.  
"I think we need a moment of privacy." He said, both Molly and Charlie opened their mouths to retort, but Jamie stopped them.

"Please… its hard enough telling one person. She pleaded. They shot her looks of concern, but then herded everyone out.

Jamie didn't start until the door was closed.

"He said he'd find me… and that I would regret it when he did." She murmured, looking at Albus. He gave a nod, looking at her.

"You will have to start lessons in the art of Occlumency with Professor Snape." He said

"It will help protect your mind from your father."

Jamie nodded.

"So, he used Legilimacy on me then?"

She had read about it in her Defence against the Dark Art textbook.

He nodded

"Voldemort is very accomplished in the use of Legilimacy, especially when it comes to torture."

Jamie shuddered.

Dumbledore squeezed her knee lightly, and got up.

"I will talk to Professor Snape tomorrow, or rather… later today. I think you should be fine for tonight, I doubt he will enter your dreams again. But try and clear your thoughts before you go to sleep."

"Thank you." Jamie murmured; he gave her a small smile, and walk to the door, opening it. Her mother and Charlie were standing outside the door, looking anxiously towards her.

Charlie shook Dumbledore's hand, and came towards Jamie, sitting down on the bed, and stroking her hair.

Dumbledore and Molly were whispering quietly together and shooting glances at her, but Jamie didn't notice.

"Are you alright?" Charlie asked, concern lacing his voice.

Jamie plastered a smile onto her face, and gave a nod.

His eyes brows knit together, he could tell she was lying, but he didn't pressure her. She sighed, and lay back down on the bed, rubbing her temples. Charlie looked down at her for a moment then lay down on the other side of the bed. She snuggled up to him automatically and he lifted his arm, pulling her closer to himself.

"I missed this." She murmured.

He kissed the top of her head.

"Me too."

The door opened, Jamie felt Charlie's grip on her tighten as he sat them up.

Their mother stood before them, her face set in annoyance.

"Charlie…" She said in a warning tone.

"Mom…" He said, returning her tone.

She looked at the two of them with disapproval, and then huffed out of the room. Charlie chuckled.  
"I've never seen mom give in so easily…" He murmured, sliding them both back down onto the bed.

"Me either" Jamie muttered.

Charlie leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. Jamie sighed when he pulled away, resting her head on his chest. The sound of his heart lulled her to sleep.

…

She was woken the next morning by something soft hitting her in the face. She sat up with a gasp, thinking she was still in the Malfoy's manor she shied away from whoever had hit her. She felt strong arms wrap around her a moment later, and opened her eyes. She saw Charlie staring at someone angrily.

"You!" She heard Fred shout. She turned around, seeing confusion and shock play across his face.

"AND Jamie?" She saw another pillow come hurtling towards them, hitting Charlie square in the face. He let out a grunt, tightening his grip on her.

Charlie opened his mouth to retort, but Jamie reached up, touching his Jaw line and pulling him down gently for a kiss.

"Uhg!" Fred cried out, throwing another pillow at them, which Charlie caught still kissing her.

"Stop!" George moaned. Charlie responded by swinging his leg over her, straddling her as they continued to passionately kiss.

They heard the door slam a moment later.

Charlie pulled his head up a moment later, grinning.

"Well… that sure got rid of them fast." He said quietly chuckling.

Jamie smiled up at him, and brought their lips to touch once again.

She traced the pale scars on Charlie's muscular arms as they lay in bed a while later. His eyes were closed, but a smile of contentment rested on his lips. Jamie smiled, seeing his happiness and got out of bed, despite a groan from her resting lover. She smiled back at him, and sauntered over to the wardrobe naked. She was sure he was watching her.

"Jamie…" She heard him say while she was looking through the different robes.

"Hmm?" She said, pulling out a green one.

"Is that a bruise on your back?"

Jamie froze. She had completely forgotten about the mark there. Shit.

She turned around quickly, looking at him.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." She said a bit too quickly.

His eyes narrowed, and he got out of bed, striding over to her. He grabbed her arms firmly, and turned her around. He let out a gasp.

"Jamie!" he said in astonishment.

She tugged from his grip, turning around and throwing on the robe.

"Well it wasn't exactly by choice!" She snapped, striding towards the desk that had her old brush on it.

"When did he do it?" He asked carefully.

She looked in the mirror, unable to meet his eyes.

"The night I freed you.." She shivered, remembering the threats her father had made.

He let out a sigh from behind her. Jamie turned around, seeing him staring at the floor with tears in his eyes.

"It's my fault… I should have been able to protect you." He croaked, trying to hold the tears back.

Jamie padded up to him, hugging him in comfort. His arms came around her, pulling her closer.

"It's no one's fault Charlie… he would've done it sooner or later. This just gave him a reason to do it sooner." She murmured, pulling away and looking in his eyes.

"Don't blame yourself. I don't." She said firmly, kissing him on the lips.

She pulled away after a moment.

"Now. I think we should make an appearance downstairs… before mom comes up here and beats you with a frying pan." Jamie snorted, the image running through her head. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Who says she wouldn't hit you? After all, you were the one who seduced me today." Jamie rolled her eyes.

He chuckled and grabbed her hand, entwining it with his own as he led her downstairs.


	32. Irrationality

They were greeted by glares from both their mother, and from the twins. Jamie sighed, running a hand through her hair. She hadn't been back for even twenty-four hours and already half of her family was angry with her. She sat down next to Charlie, looking down at the floor. Her mother put down a plate with eggs and toast on it. Jamie looked at it with revulsion; connecting it to the mornings her father had forced her to eat the same meal. She pushed it away.

"I'm not hungry." She muttered, not looking up.

"Jamie, eat." Her mother said in a harsh tone. Reminding her again, of her father.

She looked up, glaring at her mother.

"No." She said, pushing her chair away from the table and getting up.

She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind herself as she went to the living room. After a few minutes of sitting in the silence, she realized how childish she was being… it wasn't her mothers fault, she had no idea what had happened to her, what might remind her of those horrible days. She was angry with herself; she had gotten upset over eggs and toast for Merlin's sake! She buried her head in her hands, trying to calm down. It took a great deal of time for Jamie to get hold of her emotions; much more time than it had before Christmas. But once she did, she went into the kitchen again, finding her mom in there all alone, sipping from a cup of tea.

"Mom… I'm sorry." She said, noticing how red and swollen her mom's eyes were, she'd been crying.

Jamie sat down in the chair beside her, pulling it to face her.

She didn't know how to begin.

"On the days he was at the Malfoy's, and I was not incapacitated… he would call me down and we would have breakfast together. It was always eggs and toast. I know it's childish to be upset by it, I'm sorry."

Her mother looked at her for a moment, and then touched her cheek gently; Jamie hadn't noticed she'd begun to cry until then.

"He really hurt you, didn't he?" She whispered. Jamie didn't look at her, but nodded.

"Come here." She said gently, pulling Jamie into a hug. Jamie could feel all of her sadness, all the fear she had felt in the past five months engulf her, she sobbed into her mother's arms as she cradled her and whispered words of comfort. It was a few hours before she stopped clinging to her mother; she was exhausted from all the crying. She sat up in her chair, wiping her eyes. Her mother smiled at her warmly and got out of her chair.

"Now, how about a nice bowl of cereal? And a cup of tea?" She said, already bustling around the kitchen. Jamie nodded.

Her mother didn't speak again until she was done her cereal, and sipping from a cup of steaming hot tea.

"Your father and I have to return to the burrow in a couple of days." Her mother said cautiously.

"I'm guessing I will have to stay here?" She said, her mother sighed and nodded.

"It's too dangerous right now, with the ministry still refusing to believe that You-Know-Who is back, and Dumbledore not at Hogwarts, this is the safest place for you to be right now."

Jamie nodded, and saw her mom take a hesitant breath.

She frowned.

"Is there something else?"

Her mom sighed.

"Charlie… he has to leave as well, and the twins."

Jamie let the recognition hit her for a moment, and calmly put down her cup.

She could tell her mom was ready for another outburst.

"It's ok mom, really. I know you can't stop your lives for me." She felt a little twinge of sadness, but didn't let it show.

"Dad and I will still be here a couple times a week, for Order meetings… and Charlie will visit I'm sure."

Jamie nodded, trying to reassure her mother that she was fine with it.

After that they talked only of neutral subjects: the weather, what they were having for dinner, girl stuff, avoiding anything involving You-Know-Who, or Charlie.

When Jamie had finished her tea, she went to find Charlie, hugging her mother tightly before she left.

She found him, the twins, and Sirius in the living room. The conversation died when she entered, making Jamie believe they had been talking about her. She sighed and plopped down on the sofa in between Fred and George. The four men in the room looked at her like she was a live firecracker. She frowned at them.

"I developed some irrational fears while I was at the Malfoy's…" She muttered.

"You think?" George said, Sirius snorted.

She shook her head and smiled, knowing that if her brothers were poking fun at her, all was forgiven.

The day passed by quickly for Jamie, probably because she wasn't use to being so busy, she was exhausted by the end of it and to think… this use to be one of her relaxing days!

By the time she crawled into bed with Charlie, her eye lids were drooping with sleep. She made herself comfortable against his chest, closing her eyes.

"When I came back.. I couldn't eat soup." Charlie confessed. Jamie opened her eyes and looked at him. She could tell he was being serious.

"They force fed it to me almost everyday…" Charlie choked out; she could feel him shaking…

She reached up and stroked his hair softly.

"How long were you there?" She whispered. It was a question she had thought about a lot over the last couple of months.

"Less than a month. They came for me on the 1st of January, you freed me on the 19th of the same month." He murmured.

Jamie nodded. Putting her head down on his chest again.

"What… what happened after I left?" He asked, she could here the bitterness in his voice. She sighed.

"I don't want you to blame yourself for that Charlie. You know that. It wasn't your fault."

"That bad?" He said quietly.

Jamie grimaced against his chest.

"Not as bad as what happened to you I'm sure." She said, trying to divert the conversation away from those horrible days…

"I'll tell if you do." He murmured, not falling for it. She grunted.

"You first."

"There's not much to tell.." He started.

"I don't remember most of it… I think they gave me sleeping potions. The torture didn't start until the second week." Jamie shuddered against his chest, he placed a comforting hand around her waist.

"He did a lot of the torture himself… although Lucius and a couple others did occasionally. They used the Cruciatus curse a lot.. but once in a while they would break bones, but only if they were feeling creative. It wasn't that bad though…" He said, shrugging.

Jamie frowned, sitting up.

"not that bad?" She said, looking at him.

He shook his head.

"No, the worst part was when he would whisper things about you in my ear afterwards… how you didn't love me anymore, that you asked him to torture me. I almost started to believe him… that's when you found out about me I think.."

They sat in silence for a moment, Jamie realized he was done talking.

"I never said any of those things Charlie.. I didn't even know you were down there until I saw you that day…"

He nodded and kissed her.

"I know…" They sat in silence for a moment, remembering.

"You… you didn't tell mom about the man… did you?" He shook his head.

"No one knows.." She sighed in relief and nodded.

"Thank you." She said, settling herself once again on his chest.

"Your turn." He said after a moment.

She grunted. Charlie nudged her.

"Deals a deal."

Jamie remained silent for a moment, listening to the beating of his heart.

"He arrived only seconds after you left, followed by half of Azkaban.. He thought I was escaping by myself, leaving you..

Needless to say, he was not pleased, especially when he found out he couldn't kill you." She said.. sighing.

He leaned down, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you Jamie." He whispered.

"I love you too Charlie." She said, smiling in contentment.

But in the back of her consciousness, Jamie felt a nagging sensation. Her father's words floated into her mind.

"I will find you Anna, and when I do… you will regret it."


	33. Expected Goodbyes, Unexpected Hellos

The next two days passed in a blur for Jamie. Making meals with her mother… helping Fred and George with joke shop projects… and spending time just talking with Charlie. For the first time in a long time, she was happy.

Late on the second day, Jamie was lying in bed with Charlie. His hands were woven into her hair, massaging her head as her fingers traced the scars on his chest.

"I have to leave tomorrow." He murmured, Jamie tried not to stiffen, but from the way he pulled her to his chest she knew she had not succeeded.

"I know it's soon. I'm sorry, Dumbledore is relying on me to make connections with as many Romanians as possible, and I can't do that if I'm here."

Jamie sighed and nodded into his chest.

"I know…." Honestly, what she really wanted, more than anything, was to go with him. He stroked her hair with one hand, kissing her head.

"I'll miss you." He murmured in her hair.

"Not as much as I will." She mumbled. He didn't respond and they both fell into an uneasy sleep.

Morning came much too soon. Everyone had spent the morning packing, and getting ready to leave, it made Jamie feel like she was in the way, so she spent the morning with Buckbeak in Sirius's room, trying in vain to create some form of distraction. She sat in the dark room, staring out the dusty windowpane as she stroked the hippogriff's beak. A realization hit her as she watched the light play on the floorboards: this was almost the exact situation she had been in less than a week ago. Staring out into the sunlight, trapped. Her eyebrows scrunched at the sudden barrage of memories, days spent staring out into the Malfoy's lawn…

A knock at the door shook her from her memories. Sirius stood in the doorway staring at her.

"Yes?" She said, taking her hand off Buckbeak and standing up, facing towards him.

He came over to her, staring out the window, just as she had moments before.

"I know how it feels." He murmured, putting a hand on Buckbeak.

Jamie nodded, not looking at him.

"Everyone's ready to go…" he said, looking at her.

Jamie sighed, and ran a hand through her hair, walking out the door.

Fred and George hugged her tightly, slipping something into her pocket. She gave them a questioning look, but wasn't able to ask about it because of her mother's crushing embrace. She could see tears welling up in her eyes Jamie smiled at her, hugging her tighter.

"I'll be alright mom, don't worry about me." Jamie tried to sound strong, for her mom… for herself, but deep down she wanted to tell them not to go. Jamie gritted her teeth into a smile and let her mom go, looking at Charlie.

She couldn't stop the tears from forming in her eyes as she looked at him. After everything they'd been through already, and the uncertainty of the future… Jamie felt helpless. She hugged him close to her, breathing in the smell of his jacket… leather mixed with the smell of peppermint. He pulled away from her, and she saw the same sadness she felt, mirrored in his eyes.

"I'll write to you," She said, letting go of him. He gave a nod to her, and the four of them headed out the door.

Jamie let out a sigh as she sank into the couch, running a hand through her hair. Sirius looked her over.

"You look like you could use a drink." He said, making two glasses half full of amber liquid appear.

She gave a nod to him in appreciation and took a swig of it. Fire Whiskey.

"Don't worry. Once Dumbledore's made his point with the ministry and returns to being headmaster you can go back to school." He said, pointing his wand at the fireplace, a warm, amber light filled up the room as the fire grew.

"I don't know how you do it Sirius... its so lonely without everyone here."

He shrugged. "Better than being in prison."

Jamie grimaced, taking another swig of the liquor.

"What was it like… in Azkaban?"

Sirius snorted, swirling the cup in his hand.

"It was… bleak to say the least. Why do you ask?"

Jamie shrugged.

"Curious I guess…"

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the quiet cracking of the fire. Jamie sipped silently from her cup, thinking about the past few months.

"What about you?" Sirius asked, rousing her from her dark thoughts.

Jamie paused, staring into the fire.

"Lonely I guess… I spent a lot of time locked in my bedroom.." she said, picking her words carefully… The last thing she wanted was to sound pathetic, especially after when Sirius had gone through an equally horrible situation.

Sirius nodded, draining the remains of his glass he stood up, reaching to take her empty glass.

Jamie handed it to him, giving him a small smile as she stood up.

One day blended into the next and the two of them started to fall into a consistent routine that dragged the days by. Jamie spent most of her time reading, or trying to come up with a descent response to Charlie's letters. His life was so interesting… two new dragons had hatched that week, and one of them had nearly singed his eyebrows off. The though of Charlie with half-singed eyebrows made Jamie giggle a little bit. But her uninteresting days left little to write about…

One day, Jamie was sitting at her desk, trying in vain to think of something remotely interesting to write about. She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she looked out the dusty glass window. A pigeon lazily drifted down into the square, relishing in the warm spring day. Jamie found herself envying the small bird, wishing she could enjoy the sunshine as much as he was…

Jamie gave her head a shake.. Was she really just wishing she were a pigeon? She snorted at the stupidity she rose from her chair abruptly, knocking it over as she did so, she strode quickly to the door, grabbing her cloak that was hanging loosely on the wardrobe. She practically ran down the stairs, meeting a startled Sirius at the bottom.

"Where exactly do you think your going?"

"Out." She said, darting past him towards the door. He grabbed her arm, spinning her around and shaking her by the shoulders.

"Have you lost your mind? Jamie, he's waiting for you to do something reckless like this so that he can take you again."

"Sirius, I'm going insane in here! It's just for ten minutes… I promise, you can even come if you want to."

Sirius glared at her, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well… I guess we need a few things at the store." He huffed.

Jamie smiled, and hugged him.

"But I'm coming as your dog, you will not leave my side, and we will only be going to the store and coming straight home, no exceptions." He said, soundly surprisingly like her father…

"Charlie is going to kill me…" Sirius grumbled quietly, shifting into his dog form. Jamie rolled her eyes and scratched him playfully behind the ear.

"Nothings going to happen, it's ten little minutes."

The sunlight warmed her faced wonderfully as they walked to the store, Jamie couldn't stop smiling. She stretched her arms out and looked around, watching as shoppers bustled about the street. Sirius was on edge; looking back and forth warily at passersby, causing some curious stares from strangers.

"Sirius… maybe you should take it down a notch, I thought the idea was to be inconspicuous…." She whispered, earning a growl from him.

Jamie rolled her eyes, stepping through the door into the shop.

"No dogs allowed." The owner barked as Sirius walked through the door. She looked at Sirius, who gave her a quick glance then exited the shop, sitting guard outside. She went around the shop, browsing at the different items and deciding what they needed, she went to the back of the store, pulling a carton of milk out of the fridges. She closed the door with a thump, turning back to pick up her basket, but found it already being held out to her, by Lucius Malfoy. She gasped reaching for her wand but he was quicker.. Taking hold of her wrist. He made a tsking noise.

"Careful Anna, we wouldn't want to be too rash now… would we?" He said in a smooth voice.

Jamie jerked her arm out of his grasp.

"What do you want?" She said, glaring at him, but not raising her wand.

He pondered the question for a moment, reaching into the basket and taking one of the apples, he took a large bite out of it, chewing with thoughtfulness.

"It's not what I want, rather… but what the dark lord does. He was displeased by your disappearance two weeks ago, and wishes to offer you a deal; Accompany me back to the Manor now, and he is willing to offer you a pardon, you will not be punished for your disobedience. If you choose not to on the other hand, I can guarantee that this gracious offer will cease to be an option; and you will pay dearly for your behavior."

Jamie snorted.

"Is that really an offer that you expect me to accept?"

Lucius's jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"You've made your decision then?" He asked coldly.

"Yes." Jamie said, folding her arms in front of herself defensively.

"I think you should leave now."

Lucius nodded, placing her basket on the floor, he reached into his cloak, causing Jamie to tense, but pulled out an envelope, handing it to Jamie.

"From your father; I was told to give it to you in the event that you refused his offer." He said, giving her a quick glance before turning towards the door.

"Until next time Anna." He said, striding away.

He opened it, startling Sirius who barred his teeth and growled at him. Lucius snorted, and continued walking down the street, leaving the two of them staring after him in shock.


	34. Undisclosed Desires

Sirius slammed the door behind them, already shifted back into his human form.

"What the hell happened in there Jamie?" He said, close to losing his temper.

Jamie hugged her arms across her body.

"He was just the messenger… My father made me an offer…"

"And?" Sirius asked, pacing back and fourth.

"He wanted me to come back, and in return he wouldn't… punish me."

Sirius snorted

"He really expected you take the offer?"

Jamie scrunched her mouth.

"I don't think so… Lucius gave me this." Jamie said, pulling out the letter. Sirius grabbed it, and pulled it open.

"Hey!..."

He held up a finger, silencing her. She could see his anger growing as he read the letter, finally huffing as he handed it to her.

She glared at him, and then read the letter.

_Anna,_

_My disappointment cannot be expressed fully in this letter; you have made a spectacle of yourself and of me. I will not stand for such behavior my dear, and you will be punished for your foolishness. You underestimate my abilities Anna, this I can assure you. I have the power to cause you unthinkable amounts of suffering, of loss; do not test my patience, or my power. I will have your obedience, and the longer it takes for you to surrender it, the more of your loved ones will die. The blood will be on your hands Anna._

_Your father_

Jamie ran a hand through her hair, gazing at the letter…

Sirius came over, reaching out and gently touching her arm; it made her jump and her eyes snapped up to his.

"Jamie?" He said gently, grazing his hand over her arm.

Jamie saw something stir deep in his eyes; she had never noticed their beautiful colour before…

"I'm alright, just a little shaken up I guess…" She said blushing as she noticed Sirius examining her as she had him.

He reached up, softly touching her cheek.

"I love it when you blush… you look so much like Taryn then…" He murmured.

She felt herself being pressed up against the wall as Sirius's mouth found her own, she moaned against him, pulling her hands through his hair. Jamie's eyes snapped open as she realized what she was doing; she pushed against Sirius who pushed back, asking her to yield to him. Jamie bit his lip, hoping he would get the hint, but it made him moan and push against her harder, pinning her hands above her head. Jamie groaned, giving into Sirius. He took his mouth off of hers, trailing down to her neck where he began kissing and biting it.

"Sirius…" Jamie moaned, trying to push him away from her.

"Shhh…" He murmured into her neck.

"This is so wrong…" She said.

"Is it?" He asked, looking up into her eyes for the first time.

Jamie hesitated…

"Charlie…" she said after a moment, looking down at the floor. She felt her stomach drop as she though of him.

She pulled herself free and looked at Sirius with tears in her eyes.

"This, whatever this was.. Can never happen again. I'm not my mother…." She said, spinning on her heels, she sprinted up the stairs, ignoring Sirius's calls after her. She burst into her room, running to the bed and throwing herself on it, she began to cry. She cried for a long time, disgusted with her moment of weakness, for her confused feelings, and most importantly, for betraying Charlie like that.

She awoke to yelling voices downstairs, not realizing she had fallen asleep, she pulled herself clumsily out of bed, and made her way quickly down the stairs. She saw Lupin, Mad Eye, Sirius, and Tonks all talking in rushed voices, pulling on cloaks in the doorway.

"What's going on?" She asked, interrupting the stream of dialog. The four of them looked at her, and then at each other.

"Harry's in trouble." Sirius said after a moment, giving her a strange look. Jamie crossed her arms in front of herself.

"In trouble? What's happened?"

"We don't have time to explain. Stay here." He said, turning to the door, the four of them followed.

"Wait! Sirius!" Jamie called, but the four of them ignored her, slamming the door behind them as they left.

Jamie paced the entrance for the next three hours, starting at any sound. She tried to get an answer out of Kreacher, but he just kept cackling at her and muttering nonsense under his breath.

It was late into the next day when an exhausted looking Dumbledore stepped through the fireplace, startling Jamie who was sleeping in a chair. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing her.

She got up, looking at him.

"Professor, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry Jamie, I don't have time to explain right now, I need you to pack your things, and come with me." He said, sounding just as tired as he looked.

Jamie gave him a confused glance, but did as he said.

When she had managed to round up all of her things, she came downstairs… setting her worn trunk in front of him. He nodded to her, making it disappear, and then held out an arm, Jamie took it, and together they stepped through the fire. A very relieved looking Charlie came rushing up to her, embracing her tightly. She looked over her shoulder to see her father holding her mother, who was softly weeping.

She pulled away from Charlie, backing into a corner of the room.

"Is…. Is Harry?" Jamie said, feeling a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"No Jamie, Harry is very much alive, and with us." Dumbledore said, his eyes reflecting the sadness she sensed in the room.

"Sirius on the other hand, was killed in the fight against the death eaters." Jamie felt as if someone had punched her in the gut.

"Wh… what?" She said, feeling the tears start to pool in her eyes.

She felt the guilt start to overwhelm her as she choked back sobs; she felt all the emotions from yesterday boil to the surface again, had she really loved him? The guilt increased twofold as Charlie hugged her against himself, saying comforting things in her ear. What was she going to tell him? What was she going to tell everyone?

After she had calmed down a bit, Dumbledore continued.

"We did not know who inherited the house after Sirius died, and we feared it may be his closest living relative: Belatrix Lestrange. They knew where you were Jamie, and we didn't know if they had already taken you… we were very lucky that the idea did not occur to them."

Jamie nodded, and Charlie leaned down, kissing the top of her head and making another wave of guilt pass over her.

"Where am I going to live?" She asked, trying to distract herself from unwanted barrages of images of her and Sirius together.

"You will remain here, at the school for the rest of the summer, Professor McGonagall has agreed to tutor you in your subject, so that you will be able to continue school in September with the rest of your peers."

Jamie nodded, hugging into Charlie's warmth. She knew she should tell him about Sirius, but part of her wanted to let it lie, after all… who else knew about it? Jamie snuggled into her chest, vowing that one day…. She would tell him the truth…. One day.


	35. Christmas at Thanksgiving

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update, schools been rough, but here's the next chapter. I must say, it feels quite odd to write about Christmas right now… but anyways.. hope you enjoy!

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

J.R.

Jamie felt like crap when she woke up the next day. Not only was her head aching from all the crying she had done, but her heart felt like it had been ripped into two pieces. She grumbled as she pulled herself reluctantly from bed, heading sullenly out of the common room being careful to avoid anyone she knew. A few curious Gryffindors stared after her, Jamie knew it was probably because of her sudden reappearance, but couldn't stop the feeling of fear creeping up her spine, what did they know? How many rumors had been spread about the circumstances of her disappearance? Had Malfoy, or one of the other death eater's sons spread the truth? She made a mental note to ask her friends later.

She came into the great hall finding Harry, Ron, and Hermonie, she sat down with them. None of them needed to say anything, the despair of last night was written all over their faces. Jamie ate her breakfast in silence with them.

When she had finished, she went in search of Professor McGonagall, who gave her a grueling schedule, which would catch her up. Jamie groaned silently, wishing the summer was already over.

She said goodbye to everyone the next day as they boarded the train, a certain bitterness crept up on her as she watched the smiling faces, wishing she could join them. She waved a final goodbye to everyone, and then turned away, unable to watch the train leave.

"Not leaving school then?" She heard Malfoy sneer from behind her.

Jamie turned around, giving him the same cold smile her father was practically famous for. She saw with contentment that it made Malfoy take a step back.

"I would, but it seems I need to catch up in my studies… Give my regards to your father, oh wait… you can't." She said, smiling coldly at him. She saw rage fly into his eyes and his hand fly to his wand. She cocked her head to one side.

"Do you really think that's a wise decision Draco? Hexing the Dark Lords daughter… especially after the disgrace your father has made of himself." Jamie said smoothly, relishing in the opportunity to release some pent up anger.

Draco lowered his wand, his eyes downcast.

"There's a good boy." Jamie crooned maliciously.

"Now why don't you run along, and rejoin your friends."

He turned away from her with a huff of anger.

"Oh and Draco, give your master my best."

With that, Jamie turned around, smiling to herself, and set off back to the castle to begin her unpleasant summer of studies.

Two months of studies, and countless headaches later, Jamie had finally caught up to the other kids in her year and with special permission from the N.E.W.T board (thanks to Dumbledore), was able to continue on with them. She had receive countless letters from her mother, siblings, and Charlie… She had a hard time writing to Charlie, the guilt from Sirius's kiss was eating away at her.

She contemplated this though for the hundredth time as she turned his last letter over in her hands. She tapped her quill on the empty paper, trying in vain to think of anything to write. She ran a hand through her hair in frustration, and let out a sigh, getting up from the table she had been sitting at in the library. She stuffed the letter into her book bag, shoving everything else on top of it as if to bury it.

Everyone showed up at Hogwarts later that day, refreshed from their summer off and brimming with stories to tell Jamie. She couldn't help missing the twins, it didn't seem the same without them. Jamie settled into a smooth routine, and before she knew it, her and the rest of her family were on the train home for Christmas. Harry was going home with them, and being offered protection by the ministry, so Dumbledore believed that Jamie would be fairly safe from her father. She hadn't written to Charlie since just after Halloween, she had nothing to say. She could still see the letters he had written her afterwards, asking if she was ok, then progressively becoming more agitated, saying he had talked to mom, and that I was writing to her. Truthfully, Jamie didn't know what she wanted, and every time she tried to make up her mind about it, flashes of Sirius kissing her, or Charlie being tortured flashed across her mind, making her considerably more confused. She stared out the train window, lost in thought. The door to her compartment slid shut, and someone sat down across from her. She took a moment to collect herself, before turning to see Draco. She glanced towards the door, seeing it blocked by Crabbe and Goyle. She leaned back against the seat, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You look like shit." She said honestly. He was even paler than usual, and seemed thinner. His eyes narrowed slightly in irritation, but he didn't say anything..

"What do you want Malfoy?" She snapped. He smirked, pulling out a package and tossing it loosely at her.

"Don't shoot the messenger." He said.

Jamie looked down and the package, turning it over in her hands, then tossed it back at him.

"I don't want it."

Malfoy sighed, running a hand through his pale hair.

"Look, if you don't take it, he's going to take it out on me." He said.

Jamie glared at him for a moment, but saw no lie in his eyes, she sighed, and stuck her hand out. Draco placed the package gently into her hand. She dropped it on the seat beside her like it was a hot coal, not looking at it. Draco gave her a nod, standing up.

"Thanks." He said, getting up from the seat, he headed to the door. He opened it up and turned back to her.

"Be careful Jamie… he's more dangerous than you think." He said quietly.

Jamie gave him a nod and a small smile.

He turned back to the door, stepping out and shutting it with a snap. Jamie looked out the window again, trying to forget the mysterious package, but felt her eyes drawn to it. The fifth time her gaze rested on it, she opened up her bag, and shoved it into the bottom, shutting it roughly and throwing it onto the empty seat across from her. She glared at the bag, as if it might burst into flames if her gaze was cruel enough, but no such luck. She sighed, staring out the window as the country-side rolled past, trying not to think of anything but the dew that had formed around the window pane.

Christmas day, Jamie was woken up by her sister bouncing up and down on her rickety bed, she squinted up at her with a smile on her face, pulling her pillow out from behind herself and hitting her with it.

"Come on Jamie!" She whined,

"Get up!"

Jamie rolled her eyes and she hauled herself out of bed.

"You know… morning people are really irritating." She commented, shooting a look at her sister, who rolled her eyes back at her and threw the pillow at her.

"Mom's making breakfast, everyone's already downstairs!"

"Ginny!" She heard their mother call.

"Come on!" Ginny said to her, heading out the door.

"Okay… okay. Just give me a sec!" She called after her sister, whose footsteps could be heard heading down the creaking stairs.

She pulled on the blue sweater her mom had knitted her last Christmas with the red 'J' on the front and headed down the sagging stairs.

"Merry Christmas!" She said with a bright smile on her face. The rest of her family and Harry smiled at her and gave similar festive responses, while digging into the food, Jamie sat down, smiling around at them.

After breakfast, everyone exchanged gifts. The day flew by as Jamie played exploding snaps with Fred and George, and beat Ron (to his dismay) at wizard chest. Before she knew it, it was near bedtime, and Jamie was lying across Georges lap. Reading a book he and Fred had given her on odd pieces of magic. Everyone was talking in low voices, and laughter erupted once in a while. Jamie smiled, the warmth of the fire and the turkey dinner making her sleepy…

Her mother shook her gently awake a while later.

She groaned, blinking like an owl at her.

"Jamie, time for bed…" She said quietly. She realized everyone else, including George had already gone to bed. She yawned, and stretched, taking her mothers hand and following her up the stair. She stopped at her and Ginny's room, looking at Jamie. She pulled out and Envelope, giving it to her.

"Charlie sent this…" She said softly. Jamie took the paper, turning it over in her hands.

"Thanks mom. She said, smiling at her.

She smiled back at her, pulling her into a hug.

"Merry Christmas Jamie." She said in her ear.

"Merry Christmas mom."


	36. Unopened Letter

Jamie gazed between the two unopened Christmas gifts on her bed; trying to decide which one she should open first. She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. If she was truthful to herself, she really had no desire to open either. Charlie's gift made her feel guilty, and her father's… well, it was her fathers… she gave a huff, deciding she was reaching much to far into the gifts, and reached down for her father's packaged first. She reached down, taking the package gently into her hands; she turned it over, looking at the plain brown wrapping paper. It had no address, no name, nothing to mark who it had came from… she pulled open a corner, peaking into the opening, she saw a piece of folded parchment she pulled it out, opening it, a smaller piece of paper fell out, fluttering to the ground. Jamie picked it up. It was a picture of a small child, giggling as her father held her up, twirling around the room. The man was wearing a dark robe with a hood that came up and covered his head. He stopped, bringing the wriggling child down into his arms and turning towards the photographer. Even though the photo was black and white, she could tell his eyes were the same as they are now, but he had a full head of curly dark hair. He looked at the camera with a cold gaze. She saw what she realized was her tiny hand reached up towards her father. His gaze dropped down to her as he clasped her tiny hand, a controlled smile reaching his lips. Jamie shuddered and turned the photo over. In her father's neat writing it said: Christmas 1979. She dropped the picture onto the bed, pulling the letter open. There were only two lines written.

Merry Christmas.

I will see you soon.

Looking at the lines sent chills down her spine, she placed the letter down on the bed on top of the haunting picture, picking up the package once again, and she peered into the top of it, and then began to rip at the paper.

Suddenly, the door behind her opened, she turned to the door, hiding the package behind her back. To her surprise, it was Charlie, holding a fist-full of roses. He smiled meekly at her, holding out the flowers to her.  
"Merry Christmas." He said softly.

"What are you doing here?" She blurted out, covering her mouth a moment later in embarrassment.

His smile disappeared, and he lowered the flowers.

"Didn't you get my letter?" He said, she could hear a coldness creeping into his voice.

She looked towards the bed; his gaze followed hers to the unopened package.

"I was getting to it…" She said softly, her eyes trailing downwards.

"What are you hiding Jamie?" He said, looking at her.

"Nothing!" She said, looking at him dead in the eye. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Jamie, I know you much to well to know when you're lying."

Jamie shifted the packaged uncomfortably behind her back.

"It's nothing Charlie…." She said.

He walked quickly towards her, sticking out his hand.

"Let me see it."

Jamie sighed, bringing out the package from behind her back. He turned it over in his hands.

"Who did you get it from?" He asked, peering into the top.

"Who do you think?" She whispered.

Charlie looked at her with a stunned expression, dropping the package as though it contained hot coals.

"What did you do that for?" Jamie yelled at him, reaching to pick up the package, he stuck out his arm, stopping her.

"Don't touch it!"

"Why in Merlin's name not!" Jamie said, yanking her hand from his grip.

"Jamie! Don't you realize what kind of spell he might have put on It."?

Jamie snorted.

"If he was going to kill me, I'm pretty sure he would've done so by now."

Charlie glared at her.

"For all you know, it could've been a port key."

Jamie paled.

"I didn't think of that…"

"No! You didn't think!" Charlie said, storming to the other side of the room.

Jamie sat down on the bed, waiting for him to calm down. She watched as his shoulders rose and fell with each breath, and as his breathing slowed. Finally, he turned around, looking at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry Jamie…. I just don't know if I could bear to lose you…" He said, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry I haven't written…." Jamie said, breaking the silence that seemed to fill the room.

"We should get dad…." Charlie said, making his way to the door.

Jamie opened her mouth to talk, but it was obvious that neither her, nor Charlie was ready to deal with their issues right now. She sighed in frustration, sitting down on the bed and looking at the picture of her father…

Charlie came into the room a few moments later, followed closely by Arthur and to her surprise Remus.

They ignored her, walking over to the package and bending down to it. She heard Remus mutter a spell, pointing his wand at the still concealed object. He shot a glance towards them, and a small nod. Jamie felt her stomach drop.

"So it was a port key then?" She asked anxiously.

"Yes." Her father said as Charlie turned away, she could feel his anger.

"Jamie… why didn't you tell us about the gift?" Remus asked as he stood.

Jamie shrugged.

"I thought it was harmless… he's given me things before…" She said.

"But that was before you escaped his grasp, surely you realized that there was the possibility he may have done something to the gift." He said.

Jamie sighed.

"Like I told Charlie, I thought that if he wanted to kill me he would have done it a year ago. I didn't think of any other possibilities…" She said.

"Who gave it to you?"

"Draco Malfoy. I tried to refuse it, but he said that he would be punished if I did…"

Remus nodded, looking at her father.

"We should go send word to Albus…" Arthur gazed between her, and Charlie, and nodded. Remus came forward and grabbed the package gently, taking it with them as they exited the room, the door clicked close softly behind them.

Charlie turned around to face her; she could still see his anger. The last time she had seen someone this angry, she had ended up in a near coma state for a week, and she felt the hairs on her spine stand up. Jamie hugged her arms to her body, waiting for him to speak.

"How can you be so careless with your life Jamie?" His soft reply came. It shocked her; she was expecting him to yell.

"I made a mistake Charlie… everyone makes mistakes."

"But not everyone makes mistakes that could cost them their life… their freedom." The truth in his word made her shiver, she had been moments away from touching the object inside the package when Charlie had burst through the door. She felt tears sting her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. The silence that followed seemed to grow around them, reaching up and nearly suffocating Jamie.

"I…." She looked up from where her gaze had fallen, searching Charlie's eyes as she tried to articulate what she needed.

"I think we need to take a break." She said quietly. She saw shock spring into his eyes.  
"What?" He said loudly.

"Charlie…. I just need some time."

"Is this about what happened last year? Jamie, that wasn't your fault!" He said, coming over and cupping her hands. She felt tears pour out of her eyes as she sobbed. All she wanted at that moment was for Charlie to hold her, but the guilt of what had happened with Sirius, and her father's lingering threat pushed her onwards.

"No Charlie… I wasn't. But it made me a different person, and I'm not sure if I'm right for you anymore."

"You're being stupid Jamie! You are the only person for me! Please don't do this." He said.

Jamie felt her heart breaking as she pulled back from him.

"I'm sorry Charlie, I just need some space right now."

She could see his own heart breaking, just as hers was as he got up.

"Fine." He snapped, heading for the door.

He wrenched it open

"Merry Christmas." He spat, slamming the door shut behind him. He left before she could say goodbye.


	37. Filler Chapter

Jamie spent the rest of her 'vacation' avoiding questions about her fight with Charlie. Not that it was hard. After hearing about Jamie had been hiding, her mother was not speaking to her, her father looked at her like she was a time bomb, and her brothers and sister would not let up trying to badger what had gone on that morning from her. By the time she boarded the train a few days later, she was more than ready to start up term again. Her mother gave her a short hug, and warned her to stay out of trouble, and to tell Dumbledore if she heard anything from You-Know-Who.

Jamie walked towards the great hall, talking with one of her friends, Jane. They had just finished their first day back in term, and were looking forward to a hot meal. Jamie was happy to have something to get her mind off of her horrible holiday. They talked about fluffy subjects: who was dating who, shoes, fashion… It made everything that had happened over the past few weeks seem very distant.

Jamie sat down next to Jane at the Gryffindor table, pulling several dishes closer to her. They munched happily, continuing on with the light conversation during their meal. After several deserts, they got up, heading towards the library to start on their massive amount of homework that had already been assigned. They were complaining about just such while walking through the Great Hall when Jamie felt some grab her arm. She turned around, seeing Draco's pale face, she noticed several bruises on his neckline, as well as on the wrist that held her; he was flanked by his usual two goons: Crabbe and Goyle. She stopped, raising an eyebrow at Draco; he made a gesture to a more secluded corridor.

"Jamie?" She heard Jane's worried voice from behind her.

Jamie turned, smiling at Jane.

"I'll meet you in the library, I forgot I promised to help Draco with a charm earlier today…"

Jane raised her eyebrow in disbelief but nodded, they may be friends, but they were not nearly close enough for Jane to want to get tangled up in any sort of mess she was in. She waited before her friend was out of sight before following Draco down towards the dungeons; they stopped close to Snape's classroom. Draco motioned to Crabbe and Goyle who went up and down, to guard the passageway.

Jamie yanked her hand away once they had left.

"Do you ever get tired of playing messenger?" She snapped.

Draco's lips drew together in a thin line. He withdrew a letter from his cloak, handing it to her.

She turned it over in her hands, and then dropped it onto the ground.

"Do you really expect me to open that after last time?"

Draco frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Jamie's eyebrows shot up.

"You don't know?"

He shook his head.

"That package that you gave me last time, contained a port key… I am lucky to be standing here, not locked away in your house right now." She whispered.

A shocked expression came to his face.

"So that's why he was so angry…" He muttered.

"Did he give you those bruises?" She asked bluntly.

He looked away, silently answering her question.

She stuck her hand out, putting a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. Draco looked her in the eye.

"I'm sorry Draco." She said.

"But you understand why I cannot accept the letter."

Jamie let go of his shoulder, striding past him and up the stairs.

"He wont stop." Draco said.

She stopped, turning around to look at him.

"I know."

The months grew longer, as did the six years workload. The stress of upcoming N.E.W.T exams mounted as they approached June.

Jamie had no idea what she was going to do with her life after Hogwarts and was glad that she still had another year to decide, though she wasn't sure she would even have a choice considering her father's desire to capture her. Jamie hadn't been approached by Draco since the first day of term, although she often caught his staring at her, it was creepy, and Jamie almost told him off about it. She hadn't heard anything from Charlie either, she had contemplated writing to him, but when she put the quill to the paper, she found she had nothing really to say. She was almost glad they broke up, Charlie was safer if she didn't love him.

Jamie climbed up the stairs, making her way to Gryffindor Tower. She planned to spend the night studying in the common room, and maybe playing a game or two of wizard snaps with Jane. She found her friends Will and Jane sitting near the fireplace in big comfy chairs, reading their potions books and jotting down important details on sheets of paper. She sat down beside them with a deep sigh.

"Man I have a lot to do!" She complained.

Will glared up at her, mad that she disturbed his thought, and resumed his work. Jane just continued frantically reading line after line in her book. Jamie rolled her eyes, man they got testy this time of year… and pulled out her own potions book, settling back to start her procrastinated essay on Wolfsbane.


	38. Worried Voices

Jamie woke to the sound of worried voices talking in hushed whispers in the common room. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up and looking around the dark room. Sometime between studying History of Magic, and Transfiguration she must have passed out… In the dim firelight she could make out her brother and sister, as well as Neville and Hermonie.

"What's going on?" She asked. They all jumped, looking at her with shocked faces.

"The castle's under attack… we're going to help." Ron said. Jamie paused, taking time to digest the information.

"I'm coming to help." She said firmly.

The group exchanged quick looks, and nodded, they quickly made their way out of the portrait hole, Jamie followed.

"Harry gave us his Felix potion, but I'm afraid we already drank it. Sorry, we couldn't find you." Ron said, drawing out his wand as he sped down the halls.

"I fell asleep on the couch." Jamie said, drawing out her own as she matched his pace.

"Where are we—" Jamie's sentence was cut off as she heard a crashing sound, and yells. The five of them exchanged looks, taking off at a dead run towards the noise. They found Charlie, Lupin, Bill, and Tonks battling masked Death Eaters, there were several large gouges in the walls, and dust swirled through the air. Jamie dodged a spell that came rocketing towards her, finding its source to be a rather large death masked death eater.

"Stupify!" She shouted, pointing her wand at his chest. The death eater dodged the spell nimbly for his size, firing off another curse in her direction. She ducked behind a suit of armor which had the head blasted off of it.

She peaked out behind the suit just soon enough to see Charlie hex the death eater. He fell backwards with a thud as Charlie rushed over to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, she could see the worry in his eyes.

She nodded.

"Charlie, what's going -."

She didn't have time to finish her sentence before a blonde woman came forward, taking the place of her fallen comrade.

"Jamie go! It's not safe for you here!" Charlie shouted.

"I'm not leaving!" She shouted back, firing a spell at the death eater.

"Tell me what's going on!" a spell hit the woman in the chest, sending her down a flight of stairs, she didn't look like she would be getting up any time soon.

Charlie gave a grunt of annoyance, pulling her into a doorway.

"They are trying to get into Dumbledore's study… ." Jamie scrunched her brow.

"Why?"

"I donno… Jamie please, I need you to get out of here, the last thing I need is to worry about you right now."

"Charlie… I'm not leaving! These are my friends! I have as much a right to protect them as you do."

Charlie looked at her with pleading eyes, Jamie frowned and crossed her arms.

"I'm not leav—"

He pulled her towards him, kissing her deeply on the lips.

Jamie gave into the familiar kiss, her arms coming up to tangle in his hair, her wand still in one of them. He pulled away after a moment.

"I love you." He whispered.

"Not as much as I do." She whispered back. Figures, of course they would make things right at the most inopportune moment.

He kissed her quickly once again, and then made his way back into the fight, she paused for a moment, gaining her composure before re-entering the battle zone. She fought a dark haired wizard with bad teeth, trying to catch him off guard, she could see her brother Bill fighting Greyback, the two exchanging curses rapidly. She saw Bill grab the upper hand, and anger spring to his opponents face as he lept at Bill, tackling him to the ground. Jamie heard Bill scream in pain, and was sure that she saw blood. She felt panic rise in her throat as she redoubled her efforts on trying to defeat the wizard across from her. She caught a lucky break as a stray killing curse ricochet off a suit of armor, hitting the man in the chest. She scrambled over to where Bill now lay, Greyback was nowhere to be seen.

"Bill!" Jamie cried out, shaking his shoulders.

She could see long gashes down his chest; blood was seeping out of them.

He groaned underneath her, opening his eyes.

"Jamie…" He said hoarsely. She grasped his hand, relieved that he was alive

"I'm going to try and heal them a bit." She said pointing her wand at his chest and muttering the spell she heard her mother use on more than one cut.

The bleeding went down a bit, but she could still tell he was in pain.

"I have to get you out of here." She said, looking around at the chaos. She grabbed under his back, trying to lift him up.

"Jamie…." He groaned.

"Jamie look out!" He hoarsely tried to yell. She felt herself being lifted up by a pair of hands if she were no more than a doll. She screamed, thrashing as the man whom she realized was Greyback threw her over his shoulder as if she was no more than a sack of potatoes.

"It's over, time to go!" She heard Snape say in front of her.

Jamie struggled in vain against Greyback.

"Put me down!" She screamed, kicking him in the gut. He gave a grunt of discomfort, but did nothing to slow. They moved through the fight quickly, Jamie could see Charlie fighting an ugly man, but his back was to her… everyone was too busy to notice Jamie being taken by Greyback. She felt him step over someone, and looked down, seeing Neville laying there… he looked like he was in pain.

"Neville!" She yelled, he looked up at her with hazy eyes.

Jamie continued to try to escape, pulling his hair, digging her nails into his robe, both it seemed to annoy him more than anything. Any hope of escaping seemed to fading fast as they walked through the main entrance. Jamie bit into his shoulder and pulled his hair as they walked through the door. He let out a wheeze of pain, and chuckled, hiking her farther up his shoulder as he continued down to the downs.

"Sorry princess, it only works if I bite you."

Jamie pounded his back in frustration. She saw a dark shape running towards them, and she felt her heart leap a bit, maybe it was one of the Order… maybe they could help her! A curse was fired over her head.

"Run Draco!" She heard Snape say… wait, why were Snape and Malfoy still here.

Another curse was fired in their direction. Jamie opened her mouth to scream for help.

"Silencio." She heard Snape say, pointing his wand at her.

"Take her beyond the gate, wait for me there."

She heard Snape order.

"The Dark Lord wants her unharmed."

She heard Greyback give a grunt of acknowledgment. She glared at Snape over his shoulder, trying to make a grab for him. He bound her hands together with another charm as spells went firing over his head.

"Go!" He yelled, Greyback started off at a run she bounced along over his shoulder watching as Harry came into sight. She struggled fruitlessly against him, realizing this was her only chance of escaping, but Greyback held onto her firmly, taking her beyond the gate to where Draco stood panting. They stood in silence, waiting for Snape to return, Jamie kicked Greyback several times, trying to get him to put her down, but he only grunted in discomfort and shifted her farther back. Several dark shapes approached them Jamie recognized as death eaters, they all gazed at her with evil smirks on their lips. Snape returned a few moments after the group.

"It's done then?" She heard a female voice ask.

"Yes." Snape said.

Several cheers went up through the crowd. Jamie frowned. What was done?

She felt Greyback put her down and she staggered a bit, trying to regain her legs. They had her surrounded inclosing her in a large circle of death eaters. They were talking in hushed whispers to each other, but became silent when Snape stepped forward, unbinding her hands and taking the silencing charm off of her.

He grabbed her hand, and Jamie felt herself being apparated away they landed in a dark lane, to one side there were houses, the other had a large hedge with an iron fence. Jamie knew that she needed to get away, she thought fast as Snape pulled her forward. She acted even faster, wrenching her grip from Snape and kicking him between the legs. He let out a groan and fell to the ground as Jamie took off, darting in between the houses. She needed to get out of here… now. Before her father found out she was near him. She felt the brand burn on her back for the first time in months. Shit. He knew she was here.

Jamie ran down the alleys, not sure where to go, but hoping to get as far away from her father as possible.

She saw the shadows of figures appear a block in front of her; she pulled herself to the side of the alley, hiding in the darkness.

"Find her!" She heard a voice bark. Oh Merlin, it was her father.

The figures all took off in separate directions, thankfully not down the road she was on. One of the figures remained there, she was almost positive it was her father, he stood stalk still, as if listening for her breathing. Jamie backed away slowly, trying to be as quiet as a mouse. Her foot accidently hit a loose pebble, rolling it down the road with a sound loud enough to give her away. She glanced over her shoulder; her fathers red eyes were piercing the darkness, looking at the spot where she stood. Jamie's fight or flight instinct took over, and she dashed away from him uselessly. A magical rope came to wrap around her feet moments later, toppling her to the ground. Jamie groaned, rolling over and looking up into her father's horrifying face. He was glaring at her with a look she was sure would kill.

She heard a few death eaters running towards them, Voldemort ignored them as they approached, twirling his wand in his hands as he gazed ruthlessly at her.

"Take her to the dungeon, cell three." He said. Jamie gasped in shock as two masked death eaters came forward.

"No! You can't do this!" She screamed at him.

She saw the rage flash in his eyes as he struck her across the face with his hand. Jamie let out a gasp of pain.

"I think you'll find that I can." He hissed, undoing the rope from her feet with a flick of his wand.

"Now!" He barked at the death eaters who grasped her. They marched her away, death grips on both her arms. Jamie fought them, digging in her heals as they made their way up the long drive of the Malfoys. They forced her down the same stairs she had descended those long months ago when Charlie was captive. She heard moaning coming from the same room they had kept him, but they past by it. The hallway became dimmer as they forced her past countless doors. They stopped close to the end of the hallway, and a death eater drew out a long key, opening the solid wood and metal door. They pushed her into the small, dark room unceremoniously and slammed the door shut behind her. Jamie forced her weight against the door, banging on it as the sounds of their footsteps grew fainter and fainter. She slid down the door when the last echoing footsteps had faded, sobbing into her hands.


	39. Broken

The cell was dark, cold, and miserable. It had a old lumpy bed with scratchy sheets at one end, and a toilet at the other. There were no windows, no light except for the little that filtered through the bottom of the locked door. Drops of water dripped down from the ceiling, pooling onto the hard cement floor.

Jamie didn't know how long she had bee in the cell, she guessed about a day, but had no way to tell. Every little sound made her jump out of her skin with fear, but no one came anywhere near her cell. Jamie spent her time sleeping, and laying in bed waiting for sleep to come again. Tears often fell from her eyes silently, tears of fear, tears of sadness…

The door to her cell creaked open, causing Jamie to jump and scramble out of bed to the far side of the room.

Her father entered, narrowing his eyes slightly at her as he shut the door. A light came from the tip of his wand, and floated towards the ceiling in a ball, it acted as a sort of lamp, and filled up the room with a hard white light.

He made his way to the bed, and sat down, patting the seat beside himself.

Jamie hesitated, but went to sit beside him.

He looked at her, making a tsking noise and bring a hand up to brush over the bruise he had caused on her cheek. Jamie winced and pulled away from him.

"Why do you make this so difficult for yourself Anna?" He asked in a chastising tone. Jamie looked at the wall across from her, assuming it was a rhetorical question.

"You have so much potential, I have seen it in your lessons, but yet you choose to ignore it."

Jamie clenched her jaw, biting back a retort.

"I have thought long and hard about what to do with you." He said, the words sent chills down her spine.

"I contemplated sending you away until my rule is undisputed, but that would require men that I cannot spare at the moment. I also contemplated sending you to Hogwarts to complete your final year of schooling but, even with Dumbledore out of the picture I fear it will be years before I can safely assume I control it. Therefore it leaves me with one option, one that has worked on even the most stubborn individuals in the past, and that I'm sure will produce great results with you."

Jamie's eyes widened as her father raised his wand slowly, pointing it at her.

"Crucio."

Pain erupted from Jamie's body as she screamed in agony. He released the spell after an agonizingly long period of time, leaving Jamie panting on the grimy, wet floor.

"I find that all my subjects react the same to this unique form of… rehabilitation if you will… and they end up as some of my most loyal subjects in the end, I trust that you will be the same."

"I will never join you willingly!" She hissed.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, he flicked his wand to the right she felt her wrist crack as he did. Jamie let out a cry of pain, clutching her hand against her chest and huddling into the fetal position. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

He came overtop of her, looking down cruelly.

"I will not bargain for your loyalty any longer Anna. You are my blood, and my only heir, and I will have your allegiance in the end."

With those haunting words, he swept from the room, leaving a trail of agony in his wake.

Jamie shivered against the cold of the cell, huddling under the thin scratchy blanket they had provided her. Her wrist had swollen to almost twice its normal size overnight and throbbed constantly. She had been woken up by pain radiating through her arm more than once, but stayed huddled on the bed.

The lock clicked open and the door creaked as someone entered. Jamie stayed where she was, praying it wasn't her father. She heard something clatter to the ground, and the person stepped out, locking the door behind him. Jamie waited until the footsteps faded to see what it was. It held a small dish of watery soup, and a stale piece of bread on a tray. Jamie drank the soup hungrily and took the bread back to her bed, nibbling on it as she looked up at the ceiling. Another person came in a while later, taking the empty tray and bowl without looking at her. Jamie found it hard to sleep now with the constant pain in her arm, so she spent a lot of the time thinking. Thinking about that stupid pebble that gave her away, and how careless she had been. Thinking about her friends, family, Charlie… Sirius. She wondered how long she had before her father came back… and what he planned to do to her next. She wondered if her mother had gone through the same thing as her, and how long it took for her to snap, if she ever did.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door creaked open, and her father entered once again. She sat up on the bed, keeping her eyes down.

"Well it seems that pain is an effective form of discipline after all! I was beginning to think you may be immune to my charm last March my dear." He said satisfactorily.

"Are you ready to join my death eaters?" He asked lightly.

Jamie looked up at him with hard eyes.

"No." She said firmly.

His face remained a mask as he raised his wand.

He came in every day, and asked her the same question: Are you ready? She always answered no, and everyday, he held the curse a bit longer. He had broken her arm in several places, as well as several fingers and her left ankle so far.

Jamie no longer thought about her family, about her past life. She stay huddled in the corner that use to contain her bed with a thin blanket wrapped firmly around herself. She had spat at him once, and he had taken the bed away as a punishment. Her mind remained blank in her times alone, and she drifted wearily in and out of sleep. She shivered constantly, trying in vain to find some form of hope to hold on to, but there was nothing. She was alone in this fight, and no one was going to save her. She figured she had been in the dungeon about a month, basing her hypothesis on the number of visits her father had paid to her, and the number of meals she had been given, but she couldn't be for sure.

He entered her cell again. Jamie pressed herself up against the wall, whimpering quietly as he approached her. He kneeled down, a look of pleasure of his face as he surveyed her broken body.

"Well?" He asked.

Jamie looked at him for a moment, and closed her eyes. Her body screamed at her to say yes, but a small part of her mind screamed no, she didn't know which one to listen to anymore…

"Anna. What is your decision?" He asked, more firmly then the last time. Tears leaked out from under her eyelids.

"Yes." She sobbed. He had won… he had broken her.


	40. Curiousity

She figured she had past out after she had to make that horrible decision, because when she woke up, she was in the same room she had spent so many days in a year ago. The silk sheets felt wonderful on her sore body, she sighed, twisting her hand around them, she winced dropping her hand down as she realized her wrist had not fully healed yet.

"There was too much damage to repair everything in one go."

The voice made her jump, and wince as her sore muscles contracted. Snape emerged out of the darkness of the room, carrying a vial of potion, he sat down on the side of her bed, looking at her with a blank expression.

"How are you feeling?" He asked gently.

Jamie… Anna pulled herself up to a sitting position on the bed, wincing slightly as she did so.

She gave him a small smile.

"Considering I've spent the last month being tortured… quite well actually."

Snape hesitated. Jamie frowned.

"Jamie… it's only been two weeks since we left Hogwarts."

"W-w-what?" She said shakily. Two weeks? She had only spent two weeks down there…

Severus nodded.

Anna closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that were welling up. It had felt like she had spent weeks, even months down in the cell.

"Your father has certain… techniques for making time appear to go faster."

Anna didn't say anything.

"Anna?" He asked softly.

"Get out." She said, venom in her voice.

"What?"

"Did I stutter? GET OUT!" She yelled at him, glaring at him as she pointed towards the door. She flinched, feeling pain radiating up from her wrist and lying back against the pillows as she cradled her arm; silent tears fell down her cheeks.

He sat there in silence, not moving as he listened to the choked sobs that came from her throat. She saw pain etched deep into the creases in his face.

"I'm sorry." He said tonelessly.

"You're the reason I'm here! You can't be that sorry." She snapped at him, wiping away the tears with her less injured arm.

"I didn't have a choice." He said bitterly.

"We always have a choice." She said coldly, turning away from him.

He looked at her with a hard expression; then sighed, getting up and leaving the potion on the table beside her bed.

"Drink the potion, it will help with the healing." He said, locking the door behind him as he went.

Anna glared at the closed door, then reached for the potion and pulling the cork out with her teeth; she drained the foul liquid in one gulp.

It took a few days, and countless more potions before Anna was well enough to get out of bed, even for brief moments of time. Her hands and ankle were still very stiff, but she knew that they would heal with time. She had not spoken to Snape since their first encounter, although he was the only person who had come and gone from the room in the last few days.

Anna now sat in a chair that Snape had helped her into by a window, staring out bitterly into the bright summer day. She had a heavy wool blanket wrapped around her waist; a bound notebook with her father's handwriting on different dark potions was held loosely by her still enlarged fingers. The door behind her opened and closed, but she didn't turn to see who it was, assuming it was Snape with another one of his foul potions, she just continued to stare bitterly out the window. A long, pale hand came to rest on her shoulder, making Anna jump. She heard her father give a low chuckle as he came to the front of her, Anna tried to get up, but was still too weak, he put his hand once again on her shoulder, pressing her down into the chair. She bowed her head in fearful respect.

A long pale finger pulled her face up to look at his own.  
"Severus tells me it will be a few more days before you are well enough to continue your training, although it seems you have already gotten a start on it." He said, motioning to the book in her lap.

Anna nodded, keeping her eyes on her fathers face, not wanting to annoy him.

"I-I thought you would want me to…" She said meekly.

A cold smile played across his lips, and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"Good girl." He cooed, as if talking to a dog, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. Anna felt something strange stir within her, was it pride? How could she proud of him treating her like a dog! The though made her disgusted and ashamed at the same time.

He sat down on the window seat, looking out the window briefly at some passing death eaters before turning to her.

"It is a beautiful day… I think I will as Severus to take you outside for an hour or two, for some fresh air." He said, more to himself than to her.

"Thank you my lord." She said.

He looked at her with an amused expression, Anna glanced down at the book in her hands after a few moments.

"What are you reading about?" He asked.

"The potion of despair… though I don't completely understand it."

"What do you want to know?" He asked. She looked up at him; he had a serious expression on his face, but seemed genuine in wanting her to learn about it.

"How does it work? What sort of despair does it cause?" She asked, curiously.

He paused for a moment, his eyes unfocused slightly as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"It's similar to the feelings dementors evoke when near them… it draws on your worst fears, your past experiences and makes you relive them. I came very close to using it on you last week." He said thoughtfully, pausing for a moment.

"I invented it myself, although it took a few times to perfect the potion's effects…"

Anna raised her eyebrows in appreciation; knowing how hard it was to make a potions.

She held out the book towards him, he took it looking at her curiously.

"What else did you invent?" She asked excitedly.


	41. Choices

She knew that curiosity was getting the better of her, but she couldn't help herself; he was a brilliant man after all… a mad one, but also brilliant. He was cunning, skillful, resourceful… qualities she admired. He had invented many different spells, potions, and uses for objects that she had never considered… even if they were for very dark uses, they were still beautiful and extraordinary pieces of magic.

She had spent the final days of her recovery talking with her father in depth about his work in creating these spells. Although she was unable to cast magic still, from Snape's orders, she watched as he preformed some of the simpler spells, and worked on creating potions with him.

It was the final day of her recovery, Anna had spent most of the day working on the Draught of despair they had talked about on her first day with him. It was a rather tricky bit potion making, requiring certain half-stirs and patterns of stirring, but she think she had almost gotten it… She heard the thump of footsteps towards her and looked up, giving a small bow of her head to her approaching father as she continued to stir the potion. His snake Nagini trailed behind him, finding a sunny spot by the far window and curling up under it. He leaned overtop of her, examining her work.

"Very nice Anna, although I do believe you have missed a stir or two in the process, it is very nearly perfect." He said; Anna felt a small smile creep onto her face as she added a leaf of elm.

He placed a hand on her stirring arm, and she stopped looking up at him.

He sat down on the window chair across from her, looking over her with a curious expression on his face.

"I wish for you to be at the meeting with my inner circle tonight." He said. Anna felt her lip twitch but said nothing, looking down at her hands. The swelling had gone down significantly in the last few days.

"Yes my lord." She said tonelessly.

"Does this displease you?" He said, she could hear a dangerous edge creep into his voice.

"No! Of course not father!" She said, looking up at him with wide, fearful eyes.

He made a tsking noise, reaching out and brushing her cheek, Anna winced away a bit.

"Such lies my dear…" He said, ignoring her flinch.

"It will be different some day… then you will feel pride to be part of such an honored group." His eyes glazed over slightly as he pictured her future, he snapped out of it quickly.

"But no matter." He said, smiling as he pulled back his hand.  
"We have things to discuss… before the meeting tonight. It is time you were filled in on my plans, and what has been set in motion during your… shall we call it your stubborn period?" He said, a slight chuckle in his voice that made the hairs on Anna's neck stand on end.

"I am very near taking over the ministry at this point my dear… and expect some very good news to come from Pius Thicknesse tonight, as well as Severus Snape, who will be taking Dumbledore's position as Headmaster."

He saw her hesitate and stopped. She opened her mouth, but closed it again. He narrowed his eyes at her, so she sighed and asked her question.

"What happened to… him?" She asked, keeping Dumbledore's name out of the question to hopefully draw some anger away from it.

Her father smiled evilly, and Anna felt her stomach drop.

"Severus killed him… the night you were returned to me."

Anna couldn't help it when her mouth dropped.

"W-what?" She sputtered out.

"Hope out your arm." He said, ignoring her question.

She held out her right arm, caught off-guard by the sudden change of topic.

"The other arm." He said. She raised it, and he took it firmly in his hand, pulling out his wand. She tried to pull away, but he made a small shushing sound that sounded almost like he was saying something in Parseltongue. She felt a calm run through her body, and frowned, looking up at him. He smiled at her.

"It was something I did with you as a small child, it would calm you down…." He said, pulling up her sleeve and exposing her arm. He pointed the wand squarely at her forearm, and began muttering an incantation. She let out a whimper in fear and pain when she saw a dark spot begin to bloom from where the wand tip touched her skin, rising up her arm and leaving a trail of fire in it's wake. It began to take shape, forming into the familiar shape that already adorned her back. He began to speak faster, rubbing underneath the mark, two letters appeared, in his neat scrawl.

AR

He pulled his wand away, rubbing a hand gently over the area.

"The letters will burn when I call only you. Apparate without a destination in mind, and it will bring you to me. The rest of the mark will burn when a general call is issued." He said.

"One more thing…" He pulled the familiar emerald bracelet from his cloak, snapping it around her wrist.

"It has been modified since the last time you wore it. You may go to certain locations by apparation, or other means… only my blood will be able to undo the latch Anna, so do not try anything foolish… I will know if you do." He said, getting up and heading for the door.

"Be in the board room for seven, bring Nagini with you." He said, motioning to the snake, who stopped; slithering back to the sunny spot.

He gave a final nod, and stepped out of the door.

Anna continued to stir her potion, adding the final ingredient of dried blood, which caused the potion to hiss and turn bright green. She sighed, getting up and sitting down into the window seat, pulling her father's notebook towards herself when Nagini slithered up.

"_He speaks often of you."_ She said, looking at Anna. She put down the book, looking at the snake.

"_He says you are much like he was at your age… but less focused."_

Anna snorted, turning back to her book.

"_I guess how he could see that…"_

"_He has great plans for you…" _She hissed mysteriously, but did not elaborate, so Anna returned to reading the notes.

A while later, she decided that having a shower would be nice… she hadn't had one since Hogwarts… Snape had done cleaning spells on her, and in the dungeon… well that was the least of her worries. She quietly exited the room, leaving Nagini sleeping on the couch as she made her way down the hall to the washroom.

The water felt wonderful on her still slightly sore body, and the new mark on her arm. She took a long time, using the luxurious shampoos and body washes the Malfoy's had, then finished with a large fluffy towel and the instant-drying brush that put her hair into long, loose black curls down her back. She headed back to her room, holding the towel and her dirty robes up with one hand as she opened the door, padding softly down the hall towards her room, Draco turned the corner as she made it to the door, blushing at her state of undress.

Anna glared at him.  
"You act like you've never seen a girl before Malfoy…"

He raised an eyebrow, stopping.

"Someone's feeling better." He said.

Anna narrowed her eyes dangerously, she saw Draco take a step back, having received the same glare from her father no doubt.

She padded over to him, looking him over with a seductive gaze.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" She asked, tilting her head slightly, her lips only inches away from his own. She could tell she was, obviously… but it was fun toying him…

She raised her hand, stroking the side of his face lightly.. she could hear his breath catch as she did so, inching her lips up to his own.

She slapped him with her freed hand just before their lips made contact. She heard Draco gasp in shock as she turned around, marching angrily towards the door. She felt Draco grab her left wrist, pulling her around. She looked into his eyes angrily, trying to wrench her arm from his grasp. He was holding onto her mark uncomfortably tight.

"You ruined my life." She hissed through clenched teeth.

He loosened his grip, letting her jerk her hand free.

"Well I didn't exactly have a choice, did I?" He snapped back.

Anna looked down at her arm, tracing the letters. His gazed followed her own.

She heard his breath catch as he saw the mark. She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes.

"We always have a choice Draco… always." She said quietly, turning back to the door, opening and closing it softly behind herself. Nagini raise her head at Anna's entrance.

"What?" Anna snapped, rubbing the tears from her eyes as she headed to the wardrobe.

The snake hissed, putting her head back down on the couch, but kept her eyes on Anna.

She shuffled through the clothes, feeling her anger bubbling inside her. She imagined killing Draco… Snape… and felt a smile reach her lips, then looked over to see if Nagini was watching, seeing the beady eyes upon her, she made a noise of annoyance, turning back to the wardrobe. It was filled with black robes, although they seemed different than last time, they were more refined, expensive looking…. One of them probably cost more than everything she owned… back in her old life. She shuffled through the last of them, pulling out a particularly soft robe that had a beautiful dress underneath. She noticed a strange gleam coming from the back of the closet. Curious, she set down the robe on the bed, heading to the wardrobe once again and pulling the robes aside.

She couldn't stop the small gasp that came from her lips.

It was a mask.

She reached for it with slightly trembling hands, pulling it from the nail it hung on in the back.

It was beautiful… and horrifying in the same moment. It was a light silver colour, with green and grey swirls throughout the mask… a dark green crown-like marking adorned the forehead. It had swirl-like indents on the whole mask, overlapping one another and creating a well-used appearance. Her finger traced the dark green eyes, and the caged mouth… she imagined the horrified faces of people when they saw her in it…

She shook the thought from her head, placing the mask back onto its nail in the closet, pulling at the robes to hide it.

She padded back to the bed, looking over at Nagini who was still watching her.

"_Do you mind?"_ She hissed at the snake. Nagini shot her a look of irritation, but slithered away to the other side of the room, keeping her back to Anna.

Anna dropped her towel, looking at the snake warily as she did so, but seeing her stop, not turning around, she turned back to the bed, pulling on the soft material.

When she had dressed, she padded over to the mirror, examining herself.

Her face looked more angular than it had in the past, her cheeks stretched across the points. She looked thinner; there were no scars from her torture thanks to Snape. But what really caught her off-guard were her eyes. There was a hardness she had never seen before… it seemed to come from her very soul. Even with a startled look in her eyes, it remained. She felt a sadness for the person she was… Jamie… But over the last few years that girl had only brought herself more pain… suffering. It was better to let her go, it hurt less… much, much less.


	42. The Dark Lord Ascending

_**AN: J.K Rowling owns most of the text of this chapter, as well as the characters and original Harry Potter themes.**_

_**(other than Jamie/Anna… which I own.)**_

_**I own the idea of this story, as well as the character mentioned above :)**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_**J.R.**_

At quarter to seven, Anna made her way from the bedroom, followed closely by Nagini. She saw several other members of the meeting making their way there as well, and could feel their eyes linger on her as she past them, speaking behind their hands to one another. Anna let out a noise of annoyance, which prompted a hiss from Nagini. She cast a look at the snake.

"_Was that really necessary?"_ She hissed quietly.

"_You are his blood, and for that reason alone they need to show respect." _The snake replied. Her mouth tightened, but Anna did not respond, walking through the open door and into the large boardroom she had commonly eaten meals at with her father. An unconscious figure twirled above them, Anna avoided staring at it, looking for her father. He sat at the far end, partially hidden by the glow that came from the fire behind him. Nagini hissed, slithering up towards her master. Her father's gaze rested on herself as he heard his snake hiss. He made a gesture to the chair on his immediate left, and she nodded, passing the already seated individuals as she made her way to the chair, keeping her gaze down on the hard marble floor. She sat down in the seat, neatly folding her hands into her lap.

Her father watched her, stroking Nagini's head.

"_Were there any troubles?"_ He asked the snake, not taking his eyes off his daughter. She looked up at the snake.

"_She had a disagreement with the Malfoy boy in the hall… I believe it was merely banter though, nothing of great concern."_

Her father narrowed his eyes, looking at her.

"_What about?" _He hissed in parseltongue, looking at her with a hard expression.

She noticed some of the faces near them looking in their direction, and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"_It was nothing…" _She hissed quietly, looking into her father's eyes. His gaze remained hard as he faced forward in his chair.

"_Do you recognize our guest my dear?" _He asked. Anna frowned, looking at him, his gaze went upwards to the rotating figure. She looked at the face for a moment, then let out a small gasp, drawing the sharp gaze of her father and several death eaters, she masked it as a cough. It was Professor Burbage… she had been one of her favorite teachers at Hogwarts.

" _I take it you were in muggle studies then?" _He said coldly, looking away from her.

"_Yes." _She said quietly, looking down at her hands.

"_But only for a year." _When she had learned of her father, she had stopped taking the classes, for fear that he would find out about them.. like now.

Her father didn't say anything in response, turning to the nearly full room of people. Only two seats were empty: the one on his right, and the one next to Dolohov. The room had gone quiet, everyone was staring at her father, waiting for him to speak. Two figures came striding in, one was Snape, the other a man she didn't recognize.

"Yaxely, Snape." Her father called in a high, clear voice.

"You are very nearly late."

Snape sat next to her father, the man called Yaxely, next to Dolohov.

Her father turned to Snape.

"So?"

"My Lord, the order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall."

Anna stiffened, feeling her heart drop… her adoptive family would surely be involved, if not the next location of his safety.

Her father's eyes bore into Snape's own with such intensity that she had to look away.

"Saturday… at nightfall." He repeated, his mouth curving into a sort of smile.

"Good. Very good. And this information comes—"

"From the source we discussed." Snape finished.

Anna frowned, wondering about what sources he could possibly have. He had obviously burned his bridge with the order once his true loyalty had been revealed. Was one of the other order members a traitor?

"My Lord." She heard someone call from down the table, she turned, looking at Yaxely; he leaned forward up the table, as if trying to emphasize his point, it irritated her.

"Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moves until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen.'

She saw Severus smile out of the corner of her eye.

"My source told me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been places upon Dawlish. It would not be the first time, he is known to be susceptible."

Anna had met Dawlish a couple of times when she had accompanied Arthur to the ministry to help him with some work, he was a nice man… she felt bad for him.

"I assure you My Lord, Dawlish seemed quite certain."

"If he has been Confunded, naturally he is certain," said Snape.

'I assure you, Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The Order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry.'

'The Order's got one thing right, then, eh?" An ugly man said down the table, causing a few people to laugh, Anna did not, trying to make her face into a mask.

She twisted her hands in her lap, drowning out the conversation, when her father's voice broke through.

"Well Yaxely?"

"Will the Ministry have fallen by next Saturday?"

"My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have- with difficulty, and after great effort- succeeded in placing an Imperius curse on Pius Thicknesse.

Anna raised her eyebrows.

"It is a start," Her father said.

"But Thicknesse is only one man. Scrimgeour must be surrounded by our people before I act. One failed attempt on the minister's life will set me back a long way."

"Yes- my lord, that is true – but you know, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Thicknesse has regular contact not only with the Minister himself, but also with the Heads of all the other Ministry departments. It will, I think, be easy, now that we have such a high-ranking official under our control, to subjugate the others, and then they can all work together to bring Scrimgeour down."

Anna felt her gut twist at the mention of this… what would happen to the Weasly's when he gained power? He was so close….

Her thoughts were interrupted by a terrible, drawn out cry issuing below her feet. It sounded like it was in the same spot she had heard the moan from when she was being taken through the dungeon. She shivered, clutching her hands tightly together as she closed her eyes, willing the memories away.

"Wormtail." He said, his voice level, thoughtful. The sound made her open her eyes, looking down the table. Several eyes shifted from her to the small man.

"Have I not spoken to you about keeping our prisoner quiet." He said, turning towards her, and stroking her cheek gently with a long, cold finger. He could tell how uncomfortable the memory was making her, he held the silence for a moment then took his hand away.

"As I was saying." He said, turning back to face away from her.

"I understand better now, I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand form one of you before I go kill Potter."

There was a general muttering about the room, Anna did not worry, he already had her wand…. If he wanted to use it.

"No volunteers?" Said Voldemort. "Let's see… Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore."

Anna gazed at the blonde haired man… he looked horrible.

"My Lord?" He croaked.

"Your wand, Lucius. I require your wand."

He got up, moving along the table and taking the wand.

"Good." He said, drawing out his own wand and comparing lengths.

She saw Lucius's hand twitch, it was not missed by her father.

"Give you my wand, Lucius? My wand."

"I have given you your liberty, Lucius, is that not enough for you? But I have noticed that you and your family seem less than happy of late… what is it about my presence in you home than displeases you, Lucius?"

Anna enjoyed watching her father's displeasure with Lucius… it was a nice change from his own displeasure of her.

"Nothing- nothing, my lord!"

"Such lies, Lucius."

Nagini slithered up her father's chair, resting across his shoulders and saying something softly to him that she did not catch.

"My lord." Bellatrix said halfway up the table, her voice tight with emotion.

"it is an honour to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."

Anna glanced at the woman, unable to contain her disgust for the dog like groveling she was doing.

"No higher pleasure." He repeated.

"That means a great deal, Bellatrix, coming from you." Her eyes welled up with joyful tears.

"My lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!"

Anna was hardly able to keep the noise of disgust from coming from her lips, masking it as a cough.

Her father didn't look at her, continuing.

"No higher pleasure…. Even compared with the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?"

Bellatrix looked like a panting dog, her mouth hung open in confusion.

"I don't know what you mean my lord."

"I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud."

Laughter erupted down the table, Anna fixed her face, clenching her jaw tight. They had been her friends….

Nagini hissed beside her, but no one but her father seemed to notice. Bellatrix turned an ugly, blotchy red colour.

"She is no niece of ours, my Lord!" She cried.

"What say you Draco?" He said quietly.

"Will you babysit the cubs?"

The laughter redoubled, Anna could feel her fists ball into anger, shaking. She felt her father's cold hand come to rest on one of hers, pulling open her fingers gently.

"Enough." He called, stroking the angry snake.

"Many of our oldest family trees have become a little diseased over time," he said.

"You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy?" He glanced at Anna, a malicious smile on his lips. She looked at him blankly.

"Yes my lord, at first chance!" Bellatrix called.

He looked back to Bellatrix, taking his hand off Anna's.

"You shall have it."

"And in your family, so in the world… we shall cut away the canker than infects us until only those of the true blood remain…'

Anna fought back tears of anger that threatened to spill over…

Her father raised Lucius's wand, pointing it directly at the figure over overhead, and giving a tiny flick.

Professor Burbage moaned, struggling against invisible bonds.

"Do you recognize our guest, Severus?"

Anna stared at the man with quiet loathing as he looked at his colleague, with a curious glance.

"Severus! Help Me!"

"Ah yes," Snape said.

"And you Draco?" He shook his head jerkily.

"Jamie? Jamie please help me!" Charity whimpered as she came to face Anna.

Several of the guests looked at her, whispering behind their hands.

She plastered on the same, cold smile she had used to mask her feelings at the Weasly's, like there, it seem to fool everyone… except her father.

Cocking her head slightly to one side as she pretended to study the woman. She bit her tongue, fighting back the tears.

"For those of you who do not know, we are joined today by Charity Burbage who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Small noises of comprehension sounded around the table.

"Yes… Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about muggles… and how they are not so different from us… corrupting the mind of even my own."

"Jamie…. Please… please…." Anna let her gaze fall to the table, unable to see the horror before her anymore, she could taste blood from where she had bit through her tongue.

"Silence." He hissed, giving another flick of the wand.

"Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defense of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieve of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the pure-bloods is, says Professor Burbage a most desirable circumstance… she would have us all mate with Muggles… or, no doubt, werewolves…"

There was venom in her father's words, Anna looked up to see him.

"Avada Kedavra."

Her former teacher fell to the table with a crash, several death eaters lept out of their chairs, Draco fell on the floor. Anna, sat stick straight in the chair, afraid to move… to breathe, should the tears fall down her face.

"Dinner, Nagini." He said softly as the snake slid from his shoulders onto the table.


	43. Early Morning Guilt

Her father closed the meeting, and the death eaters began to file out. Anna made an attempt to get up, but her father's hand closed around her own, indicating that she should stay seated. She kept her gaze down on her hands, trying to ignore the sounds Nagini was making as she started to swallow Burbage.  
She couldn't stop the tears from leaking out of her eyes, falling into her lap.

The door shut behind the last person, he sat in silence, watching Nagini for a moment before he rose, walking over to a side table and pouring himself a drink from the decanter sitting there.

He took a long drink from his glass before turning around to look at her. He studied her for a moment, then came to sit in his chair once again.

"tsk, tsk, Anna, why the tears?" he said, brushing one off her cheek with his hand.

She didn't reply, letting out a sob into her hands.

"Her death was not in vain. I am trying to create a better world for you… and people like Burbage must be silenced in order to do so."

Anna looked at her hands twisting around her robe.

"You must accept death as part of your duty. Failing to do so will get you killed." He said simply, taking another sip as he twisted his finger around the end of Nagini's tail.

He glanced at her one final time, before pulling his wand out of his robe and pointing it at the door, it opened, signaling that their discussion was over.

Anna got up with a bow towards him, sweeping away to the door.

She climbed the stairs to her room numbly, falling into her bed still dressed, she cried herself to sleep.

She was woken by a knock at the door the next day. Her eyes fluttered as she heard the knock at the door for a second time, getting up and opening the door.

It was Draco.

Her eyes narrowed automatically, and she crossed her arms.

"Can I help you?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Here." He said, pushing his left hand out as he looked away, embarrassment etched into the lines around his mouth.

She frowned, not making a move for the bottle.

He hesitated, flushing.

"It will help with the redness."

It was her turn to blush, as she took the bottle gently, looking at Draco.

"Thank you…" She whispered.

She glanced at the potion, holding it to her side as she opened the door wider, Draco accepted her silent invitation, coming into the room.

She headed over to the mirror, pulling the stopper and taking her towel from last night. She did look like shit, she poured some of the potion onto the towel, gently patting it on her face. She felt a tingling sensation, and the redness receded immediately.

She put the bottle down, walking over to the window, where Draco was standing. She took a seat in the window chair, staring up at him.

"Thank you…"

He shrugged, ' I figured I owed you one…. If not more. I'm sorry Jamie…"

She felt a pang in her chest when he said the name, she looked away from him, glancing out the window.

"Don't call me that… please." She said, quietly, watching as the morning dew on the window slid down the frame, pooling on the ledge.

She could feel Draco shift behind her, taking a seat on the couch.

"You knew her?" He asked.

She knew he was referring to Professor Burbage, and nodded, not turning away from the window… she remembered a conversation she had with her… not long before she learned about her father.

"_Professor?" Jamie asked quietly, helping her put the arrangement of electronic cookware back into it's packaging after a lesson on electricity and its uses. They were alone in the classroom, and although she could have easily used magic to clean the mess up, Professor Burbage insisted on doing it 'the muggle way'._

"_Yes my dear?" Professor Burbage said sweetly, not turning away as she folded up an extension cord neatly._

"_Can I ask you a question?" She said, turning away from the 'Slow cooker', leaning against the desk as she looked at her teacher._

_Her teacher nodded, smiling at her while she continued to wrap a chord. _

"_Why are you so fascinated by muggles?" She had never really understood her father's fascination with them… and thought that her professor's answer could help her understand._

_The older lady frowned, putting the chord down as she thought about it for a moment. Then she picked it up again, continuing to wrap the bright orange line into a bow-like shape._

"_Well Jamie, I believe that everyone is created equal. Not matter their blood, or what race they are; and I believe it is amazing what muggles have done to cope with their lack of skills… in a way, it's a form of magic all in its own, don't you think?"_

_She said, smiling as she looked at the young girl._

_Jamie returned the smile, nodding as she fingered the prongs of a chord._

"_Muggles are like us in so many ways…. They want to create a better life: for themselves… for everyone. And in the end, I believe that's what we all want." She finished wrapping the chord, placing it down with a triumphant look on her face._

"_Now, what do you sat to trying out this blender down in the kitchen with me? I'm sure we can whip up a couple of milkshakes." She said, extending her hand out to Jamie as she picked up the blender in one hand. Jamie glanced at the woman with an admiring look, a smile on her face._

Anna looked over at Draco, a blank expression on her face.

"I did."

He nodded, but said nothing else.

Anna's stomach interrupted the silence, they looked at each other with thin smiles on their faces. She giggled, a sound she hadn't heard in quite some time.

"Breakfast?" He asked, extending his hand out to her. She nodded, taking his hand.

Anna sat at the island as Draco bustled about the kitchen, waving his wand in random directions, causing pots to stir, and eggs to crack.

"What exactly are you making?" She asked curiously, leaning on one hand as she reach forward with the other, taking an apple from the fruit basket and chomping hungrily on it.

"You'll see…" He said mysteriously.

Flour covered the kitchen once he was done, he set two plates of pancakes down on the island, the look of pride on his face made Anna laugh.

He glared at her.

"What?" He said, scraping a chair on the floor as he pulled it out, plopping down beside her.

"I'm sorry Draco… but pancakes? It's not really what I would expect a Death Eater to make for breakfast…" She said, pouring syrup thickly onto the golden brown tops.

He tilted his head, considering her response, he cut the dough and took a large bite.

"What were you expecting? – blood soup?" He said between chews.

Anna and him exchange looks, snorting.

"No… scrambled brain actually…" She commented, almost thoughtfully.

They spent the breakfast trying to come up with grosser dishes than the other… it was childish, yes, but it made her happy, it was almost like being with a friend.

She leaned back against her chair, sighing in contentment.

"I think that is the best meal I have ever had…" She said.

After three weeks of watery soup, it certainly tasted like it.

"I'm glad you liked it." He commented, waving his wand, causing the dishes to soar overhead, landing in the sink.

They smiled at each other awkwardly, and Anna looked down into her lap, twirling her fingers around the robe.

"I should go clean up… " she said, still staring at her lap.

She smiled, brushing the tip of his nose where some flour dust sat.

"From the looks of it, you could use a shower too." She said, he chuckled. It was a light, airy sound that she had never heard before….

She got up, brushing her lap free of crumbs, heading to the door.

She stopped as she reached it, turning back to him.

"Thanks again." She said, before disappearing into the hallway.

She smiled to herself, her fingers trailing along the wall as she made her way back to the stairs.


	44. Quidditch and Cocktails

It had been nearly three days since Anna had heard from her father. The days seemed to grow longer as she waited for word from him… although she had been allowed to wander the grounds, and had spent much of her time with Draco. He had show her around the castle, showing her rooms she had not even touched last year; including the green room, which was full of exotic plants used in potions… as well as a room dedicated entirely to Quidditch: It had Lucius's first racing broom, as well as several first-models of the broomstick.

It was nearly midnight on the third day of her father's absence. Anna had her head rested on Draco's knees as she sprawled out on the couch, reading a book on the history of dark magic, Draco was reading some magazine on quidditch. They were in the library that Anna had spent a lot of her time in last year, the only light came from a roaring fireplace that sat in front of them. The couch was plush, and two matching chairs sat across from each other to her right and left.

Anna let out a sigh, fidgeting slightly as she flipped the page of her book. She stared blankly at the page, not taking in any of the information on it.. they had been here for nearly four hours, and Anna was tired of the book… actually, she was BEYOND exhausted with the book. For something some dark, and full of adventure, the writer sure had managed to suck all of the fun out of it.

She put the book down on her lap, staring up at the cover of his magazine, trying to read it although the font was upside down. He pulled it down slightly, peering over the top of it with a raised eyebrow.

"I can't do anymore of this!" She said with exasperation, making a motion to her book.

He put his magazine down on a side table next to him.

"Well… it is pretty late, I guess we could go to bed.." He said, stifling a perfectly timed yawn.

She smiled, sitting up with a groan as she stretched out her back.

She ran her hand through her hair, catching a knot at the bottom of her back. She winced as she pulled her finger through it.

She fingered a few of the strands, it had seemed to have grown quite a bit since she had been here… it now touched the middle of her back, it had only been just past her shoulders when the attack on Hogwarts had happened. She wondered silently if her father had something to do with the fast growing strands… and what purpose he had in doing so.

"I like it." Draco said, snapping her out of her fog as he brushed the top of her head gently.

She smiled at him, lightly pushing him away with her hands.

She went towards the door, looking back at him as she darted out through the open space. They talked quietly as they made there way up the hall, mostly about Draco's magazine, and the fact that a new broom was coming out next year. Anna rarely discussed anything she was reading, not sure whether her father wished for her to keep the information private or not… but she wasn't ready to find out. Draco walked her to her door, and gave her a slight nod and a smile.

"See you tomorrow." He said, giving a small wave as he entered his own room. Anna smiled to herself, opening the door to her room. She got ready for bed quickly, sliding under the soft sheets and slipping into a deep sleep.

She felt herself being shaken what seemed like only moments after she had fallen asleep. She opened her eyes to she her father staring at her from above, anger and irritation etched in his face. She sat up quickly, he began to pace back and forth at the foot of her bed. He had a thick traveling cloak on, mud had splashed up onto the bottom of his robes, he had his wand drawn.

"Where is he?" He said suddenly, his tone was deadly. Anna looked at where he stood stalk still, a frown etched on her brow.

"Who?" She asked.

He closed the gap between them impossibly fast, slapping her hard across the cheek and then ripping her hair back to hold her face up to his; Anna cried in pain and surprise.

"Where IS he?" Her father asked again, Anna was sure she could see a glint of madness in his eyes.

Her lower lip trembled as she spoke.

"I don't know who you mean…"

He released her hair, pulling out his wand.

"Crucio!" He said cruelly.

Anna screamed as she was engulfed with pain thrashing so much that when he released her, she realized she was on the floor.

"Do not play dumb with me child! Where is Harry Potter!" He spat.

Anna looked up at him, fear in her eyes.

"Please… please… I don't know!" She whispered, tears rolling down her face.

His eyes narrowed, his face contorted with rage.

"Crucio!" He hissed again. She screamed this time, begging for him to stop. He did after a moment. She continued to sob as he came over to her, kneeling down next to her.

"If I find out you are lying to me, you will regret it." He said quietly, getting up and stalking away to the door, he closed it behind him with a slam. Her sobs redoubled as she heard the door close, her fear… her relief… pouring out of her.

She lay on the floor long after she was done crying, trying to find the strength to get back into her bed. She heard the door open and close behind her. She winced as some touched her from behind.

"Anna." Draco's voice came gently.

She rolled over, looking at him with tears on her face. His face was blank as he helped her back into bed, placing the covers gently on top of her. He pulled a potion out from under his shirt, popping the cork before giving it to her.

She looked at him with suspicious eyes, not saying anything.

"It's a sleeping potion… and it will help with some of the pain." He said. Anna nodded, draining the liquid in one foul gulp and handing the empty potion bottle back to him. She rolled over onto her side, facing away from him, she felt him get up, and heard the door click closed before the potion worked it's magic.


	45. Unexpected Invitations

Anna was woken up by a stream of early morning light hitting her face. She squinted into it for a moment before getting up. Miraculously, there was not pain in her body… although a slight bruise highlighted the top of her cheekbone. Anna rubbed the spot with her hand as she went over to the wardrobe, pulling out a smooth black robe and throwing it over her head just as a knock sounded from the door. She turned around, seeing Draco striding towards her.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, she saw his gaze rest noticeably on the bruise that decorated her cheek. She shrugged, pulling a hand up to the mark.

"Ok… I think the potion you gave me really helped. Thanks."

Draco shrugged, brushing it off.

"It was nothing really… I figured I still owed you at least that…"

Anna nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence between them for a moment. Anna fidgeted, then walked over to her dresser where she picked up a brush, running it through her hair.

"Your father wants to see you… he sent me up here to get you."

Anna felt a chill settle in her stomach, she paused, putting the brush down.

"Is he angry?" she said, unable to look Draco in the eye as she asked.

She heard him sigh.

"Yes… but its more contained than it was yesterday." He said.

She frowned, looking up at him.

"What set him off anyways?"

Draco paused. As if trying to find the right words to say to her.

"He tried to kill Potter last night… he thinks some of the Weaslys may have been involved."

Anna felt her stomach drop.

"Are…Are they ok?"

He sighed… grabbing her arm.

"I don't know how much you are allowed to know… I'm sorry Anna."

He led her out of the room, down the stairs and into the same long room where Professor Burbage had been executed. He paused at the door, knocking.

"Send her in." Came the reply. Anna felt her stomach drop, Draco looked at her with empathy before pushing her gently through the door.

It was dark in the room. Only a few lights flickered close to her father… they seemed to accent his malice.. his anger that was etched deep into the lines of his face.

"Come here Anna." He said harshly, not looking up from something that looked like a card in his hands.

Anna approached him cautiously, keeping her eyes low. Her hands began to shake, and she gripped them into tight balls, willing all of the fear she felt knotting itself into her chest away. She came to stand beside her father, staring at the dark wood floorboards, following the scrapes and scratches left on them with her eyes, distracting her mind from the fear, if only for a moment.

"Sit." He said harshly.

She did so, numbly.

She heard the rustle of paper as her father pulled something out of his cloak, placing it on the table and sliding it towards her.

"Would you care to explain this?" He asked, the malice in his voice almost seemed to pierce her skin, she flinched away from the sound, taking a moment to regain herself before gazing at small card shaped paper in front of her.

It was simply decorated, with light golden coloured bells in the corners of the heavy paper, they rang back and fourth silently; birds made of ink fluttered around the edges of the card. There were words on the paper in a silver colour that seemed to shimmer against it's cream background, although there was no light in the room which could have caused the flicker. The card looked so out of place in the dark room, its contrast made Anna want to laugh, but the words etched onto the parchment made her want to shrink back in fear:

Your are cordially invited to attend the ceremony where

Fleur Isabelle Delacour

And

William Arthur Weasly

Who will be exchanging vows on August the 1st in front of their family and friends

A reception will follow the ceremony.

Anna dropped the letter onto the table, her hands trembling so fiercley that she could no longer hold onto the slip of paper. Thoughts flew at an inconceivable pace through her head.

Why had they sent it to her?

Were they ok now? Had her father managed to kill one of her family? Replacing the happy event with a funeral?

She saw her father's long, spider-like hand come in front of the letter, pulling it towards himself. She followed his gaze, meeting his eyes; they were full of anger. She quickly looked down.

"I… I don't understand." She whispered.

"I received this letter last night, only just before I left to confront the Order of the Phoenix and kill Harry Potter. I, by no means, had the time to decifer the message they may have hidden in the letter, regarding what I have no interest in. What I am interested in, is the fact that you remained in contact with those blood traitors, and have continued to try and defy me." His voice was level, but there was no mistaking the bitter and harsh tone in it. Anna trembled, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

"I have not…" She choked out.

"Silence." He said harshly.

Her sob reverberated off the walls.

She saw him reach into his cloak through the haze in her eyes, her breath catching in her throat as he withdrew his wand. A whimper of fear escaped her as she shrank against the back of her chair.

"I need to know what you have told to the Order, and if you have an accomplice working with you." He said, his wand reaching under her chin and razing her gaze to his own.

"Legimus." He said.

It felt as through she had fallen beneath a frozen lake, visions of her past flashed before her eyes and she trashed around, her limbs numb as she struggled for air. The longer he held the spell, the greater her struggle became until…

His pull from her mind felt as though she was finally breaking the surface of her icy prison. She gasped for breath, clutching at the chair where she sat, her body drenched with sweat. She sobbed in fear, bile rising in her throat. Her father got up, turning and gazing into the fire, as though she was not even in the room, a blank expression on his face as he twirled his was in his hands. He did not speak until her tears had dried, and Anna stared into her lap.

"Their actions are peculiar…" He said, more to himself than to her.

"I can detect no deception in your mind…. Yet they send you this letter… most peculiar." He repeated again. He sat in silence for a moment, then seemed to jerk himself out of deep thought, motioning towards the door, it opened inwards at his command.

"Severus will find you later with a potion for your remaining pain…" He said, his expression still blank. He didn't look at her, but she knew that their discussion was over.

She rose weakly and went to the door.

She walked numbly to her room, ignoring the stares she got from Death Eaters she passed, she felt surprisingly empty inside… she opened the door to her room, not bothering to shut it as she crawled onto her bed, falling into the depths of sleep before she could think of her horrible day.


	46. Never the same

She was woken by the light tinking sound the rain made against her windows. She sat up in the dark room, looking out of the window as she watched the rain fall. It looked like black ink in the darkness, pressed up against her unyielding window desperately, it reminded Anna of tears as the drops clung to the panes of glass. She touched the window with her hand; the glass formed a halo of fog around the heat her form. She watched her hand for a moment, startled as she felt a tear roll down her cheek, she lifted her other hand up, brushing the single tear away from her face.

She heard someone clear their throat behind her. She spun around, a flash of fear automatically coursing her veins. She clenched her fists in anticipation.

It was Severus.

She did not relax her stance, instead, inclining her head. He looked uncomfortable under her gaze, shifting from one foot to the other as he stood there. She noticed a vial in his hands, remembering her father's promise of the healing potion.

He saw her gaze rest on it, and gave a jerky nod with his head.

He looked jumpier than usual, avoiding her eyes as he looked at everything in the room but her. She frowned, wondering why he was so unsettled.

She briskly walked towards him, his gaze finally met hers; she saw unmistakable guilt in his eyes. Her frown deepened, but she refused to be the first one to speak, waiting for him to say something as she crossed her arms across her chest.

He cleared his throat again before speaking.

"Your father asked me to bring this to you." He said, shoving the vial towards her as he averted his gaze once again.

She took it in her fingertips gently, pulling the top off as she examined Snape over the top of the potion.

What was he worried about?

Her gaze turned again to the murky liquid, her eyes narrowed as she looked at it.

She then thrust it out towards Snape, the liquid sloshing dangerously towards the top of the glass.

He looked at her with a bewildered and confused expression.

"Drink some of it." She snapped.

He seemed taken aback at her order, his eyebrows raised.

"Anna I—"

"I need to know you have not poisoned it. You are acting strange Snape." She said sharply. The tone sounded so much like her fathers it shocked even her.

He shifted uneasily, meeting her gaze again.

"I can assure you Anna—"

"I don't need your assurance Snape. I need you to take this vial and drink some of the potion. I don't trust a murderer." She snapped, shaking the potion, and causing some of the liquid to spill.

His eyes narrowed at the mention of the word 'murderer'.

"You have no right to say that Anna. Considering you, yourself have also done the same act in the name of our Dark Lord."

She suppressed a shudder as she once again saw the fading eyes of the man she had killed, glaring at Snape. She felt anger surge through her veins, wishing she could force the potion down his throat and watch in glee as he writhed on the floor, in agony meant for her.

He snatched the potion, continuing to glare at her as he took a sip of it. She saw a shudder run through his body at the liquid slid down his throat.

He waited a few moments before thrusting it back at her.

"There. Happy?" He snapped.

"Yes." She said, bristling as she took the liquid and drained it. As it had with Snape, she shuddered as the slimy liquid slid in a singular blob down her throat. She felt some of the dull ache in her body, which had returned after Draco's potion had faded, vanish. She sighed, corking the empty glass bottle and handing it back to him.

"So if it's not the potion which has you so concerned, what is it?" She inquired.

He stiffened, pushing the vial away into the depths of his cloak and gazing past her to the window.

"I don't have time for this." He said almost tonelessly, although she was sure she heard an undertone of guilt. Before she could retort he swept away to the door. He paused at its entrance, turning back and looking at her with a now composed expression.

"The Dark Lord has relayed me a message for you: he will not be able to give you your lessons for the next few days, and has asked me to fill in for him, which I have graciously accepted."

Anna let out a noise of disgust.

His gaze narrowed slightly in what she assumed was irritation. He continued:

"I expect you to be in the main hall at 9:00 am, and I feel I must warn you, any… difficulties you may be planning on presenting will be reported to your father, and I will warn you he had been in quite an… inventive mood when it comes to punishment lately." His gaze showed no sign of fear when he mentioned the torture; nor did he show any sign of sympathy. Anna felt as though a rock had been dropped into her stomach. She looked at him with hatred. He returned her gaze for a moment, she saw some unknown emotion flicker in his eyes, then he exited the room, sweeping around with a billow of his cloak and closing the door behind him with a loud snap. Anna inhaled deeply. Holding her breath for a moment as she shut her eyes, trying to drown everything in her mind out except for the burning that now filled her lungs. When she could hold it no longer she let it out in a burst, inhaling fresh air into her deprived lungs. She turned around, her face set in a hard expression. Her eye glittered like shards of blue ice, unyielding as she gazed at the handprint she had left on the window. Drops ran down the print, obscuring the halo that had once seemed to emit light. She walked over to it, placing her hand over the now mutilated print.

It wasn't the same… it was never the same.


	47. thicker than Water

AN: This chapter may be offensive to some readers

If the hours she had spent with Snape at school had seemed like torture, she was mistaken…. This was torture. His breath was heavy on her neck as she bent over her work, trying to ignore the twinge of annoyance that persistently pushed against her composure. She couldn't even remember where she had been on the page, and stared at it blankly for a moment before pushing the dusty book away and crossing her arms in resistance.

Snape swept around to face her, his eyebrows raised. She glared at him.

"This is pointless… not to mention the fact that I am about to die of boredom."

Snape's face twisted with irritation and he pushed the book back towards her.

"Stop acting like a child." He snapped.

Anna clenched her jaw.

"I wonder how many times you wished you could say that to students." She shot back at him, seething.

She didn't see his hand until a moment before it made contact with her face, the burning sensation rippling through the tender area. She gasped, clutching at her cheek as she looked at Snape; a horrified expression on her face. She saw horror flicker in his eyes for a moment, but then they hardened.

"I have neither the time, nor the patience for your antics Anna. I will meet you at 8 tomorrow morning in the library and I EXPECT you to be ready to continue our lesson."

He stepped away from her, walking briskly towards the doors. Anna felt her anger well up, blinding her with rage. She got out of her seat, running out of the room and after Snape, her ears filled with the sound of rushing blood her mind, reeling.

He had no right to treat her this way. It was his fault she was here. HIS fault Dumbledore was dead. She saw his greasy black head appear as she rounded another corner, her veins seemed to run with liquid fire as she ran at him, catching him off-guard as she pounced on the older man who toppled to the floor with an echoing cry. Anna smashed his nose, feeling the satisfactory crunch of bone under her knuckles and the yowl of pain that came from the stunned form of Snape. By then he had recovered enough from his initial shock to wrestle her form from his own, holding her down of the floor by her shoulders. Anna saw blood pouring from his nose and she gave him a feral grin, enjoying the fear she saw spring into his eyes the moment before she leaned down, sinking her teeth into his hand. Another cry issued from Snape and his grip loosened enough that Anna could wiggle out of it. She felt Severus's wand press into her back as she scooted across the floor and reached behind her back, clutching the wand as she used her legs to propel herself forward, knocking Snape flat on his back as she sat on him, the wand pointed down towards his throat. The two breathed heavily, blood ran down Snape's frightened face as he looked up at her. She heard someone begin to clap behind her. The sound made her jump, but she did take her menacing glare off of Snape.

"Well fought my dear." She heard the silky voice of her father ring out.

Anna ground the wand into Snape's neck, her teeth gritted against her labored breathing.

"Put your wand down Anna." He said, his voice sounded much closer than before.

"He has to die." She hissed, not recognizing her own voice. She heard the men only a fraction of a second to late. They jumped on her, one of them rolling her off of Snape while the other grabbed the wand from her hand. She screamed in frustration, trying to break loose from the man's grip. He held her down, but struggled against her fiery will. Another man appeared in her vision, leaning down and wrenching her mouth open. She tried to bite down on his fingers but was unsuccessful. Another hand came into view holding a blue potion vial. He poured the contents down her open throat, making her gag. All but the first retreated once they knew that the potion had been consumed. She immediately felt the effects; her vision blurred slightly, and her limbs felt heavy. The world seemed to be incased in a slow moving fog. Anna's eyelids fluttered, and she felt herself being helped to her feet; two death eaters holding her steady as her father came over, caressing her gently on the cheek. A smile creased the corners of his mouth and his eyes twinkled darkly. He gave her one more look over before turning to a crowd of people who had formed on the other side of the main hall. She faintly recalled that they were death eaters, but it seemed of little importance at the moment. He began to speak; it sounded to Anna as if it was from underwater.

"You see my friends, that her blood is as my own; a beautiful, glorious sight to behold to all… but her enemies. It is only her mind, which needs some adjustment. But once it is so, she shall be the ideal. Not just for my death eaters… but to all. She will be… a pure blood."

She heard a cheer rise up in the crowd, and saw a figure being helped along by another man. She realized dimly that it was Snape, and she felt her hate for him rise again. She lunged towards him, surprising her guards who took a tighter hold of her arms after a moment. Snape fell down, staring back with a look of horror plastered on his blood soaked face.

The death eaters in the front row shied away from her, her father chuckled.

He came close to her again, his lips brushing her ear.

"It gives me great joy to see you this way Anna, and to know that one day, you will inspire the same fear in those that you loved, as you do with my death eaters now." Anna felt her stomach sink, and she swayed in the grasp of the men, her eyes flickering.

"Take her to the cellar; room 2." He ordered the guards curtly. The words meant nothing to her, her head rolling uselessly from side to side. Everything was drained from her but the seeds of two emotions: Anger, and hatred.


	48. Destiny

The door slammed shut behind Anna with a resounding boom. She had fallen forward as the deatheaters pushed her into the cell, scraping both her knees on the grimy cement floor. The pain seemed to be someone else's, floating at the back of her drowsy mind which moved at such a sluggish pace that seemed unrecognizable as her own. It took a few minutes for her to get up, swaying back and fourth as she kneeled there; like a leaf blowing in the non-existent wind. She staggered as she did so, balancing against the door for support. Her head reeled, unable to hold a thought in the fog of her mind; she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to regain some form of her lost sanity. She saw a small, crumpled blanket curled in one corner and dimly thought of sleep; the thought seemed logical, even in her altered mind. Using the wall as a crutch she made her way forward to the blanket sliding down the wall when she reached it, and curling into a tiny ball, pulling the rough material over herself. She fell into a dreamless sleep.

She was woken by sound of her cell door slamming shut. She started from where she had been sleeping against the wall, squinting in the now bright cell which seemed to have been illuminated by a spell. Her body groaned in protest as she propped herself farther up the cold stone wall, her arm muscles screaming from the movement. She looked at her father, her face was blank, as were her emotions.

"I will not apologize for what I did." She said keeping her voice toneless. She saw an amusement flash in his eyes, his lips curled in what seemed to be a smile.

"Nor did I say you should." He replied. Anna raised her eyebrows. She was sure she saw a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"With everything you have been brought up to believe, and your morals.. you are not wrong to think that it is Snape's fault that you have ended up in your…. predicament." Anna shifted on the hard floor, grimacing as her bruised body brushed against the cold stone wall, giving him a cold look as she waited for him to continue.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, searching for the right words to say to her, a pale smile lined his face as he continued.

"You see… I understand how you feel Anna. Betrayed by Snape for bringing you to me, and that you are forsaken to a life of bitter misery." He paused, watching her for a moment with an expression she could not decipher before continuing:

"But you have overlooked one thing; I did not raise you to this bitterness, nor did I condemn you to this." He said, gesturing around him to the cellar. Anna frowned, but made no sound or movement to interrupt him.

"And… as your father… I have the obligation to discipline you for any behavior I see as disrespectful or harmful, although I do not enjoy my task." He said, his face becoming solemn as he looked at her.

"I am trying to make a better place for you Anna, for all Wizards. My task is a difficult one, and not without its difficulties…" She saw anger and annoyance flash over his face as his eyes took on a far away expression; his eyes then focused on her and a look of sadness and remorse crossed his face. He turned towards the door, opening the latch and pulling it open with an audible creak before turning his head back to gaze at her.

"The choice is yours Anna. But remember the true reason you are here; and who deserted you to follow the traitor Potter instead of protecting the ones they say are their own blood. Remember who lied to you, and who condemned you to hate your true family… loyalty is not always to who it seems." He said quietly, giving a slight nod to her before exiting the door, pulling it shut and locking it with a click behind her.

Anna could feel a bitterness creep into her veins as his words sunk in. He had spoken the truth… something that it seems the Weasly's rarely did with her. Her gut turned…. All the people her father had killed… the lives he had ruined… and for what? He wanted to control…. To be in control. Had the Weasly's even loved her? Or had they just raised her to keep an eye on her… to make sure she didn't turn into her father… and eliminate her if she did.

Anna gagged as the thoughts reeled through her head, unable to keep the bile that was rising in her throat down any longer.

A sob choked out of her throat, her head coming down to press against the cold stone floor as she curled into a ball, her hands clenched into fists. The world didn't make sense anymore… Who was she? What was right? Who was wrong? She could feel her nails digging into her palms, wet dots of her blood fell to the floor as the sharp edges pierced the tender flesh; the pain helped to clear her head… offering her some twisted solace from the unbearable thoughts reeling through her mind. Everything seemed to slow down as the feelings seemed to drain from her, her eyes snapped open, looking at the hard tiles speckled with her blood and grime. She pushed herself up to sitting, the pain that shot through her hands sent a thrill through her, she propped herself against the wall, leaning her head back against the unyielding surface. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of her breathing, of the blood pumping its way through her veins. Her blood…. Her father's blood.

The door creaked open, and Anna opened her eyes, the light glinted like hard pieces of glass across her irises. The figure was shadowed in the brightness, but she could tell by his stance that it was her father.

He moved out of the light, his gaze examining her with an air of speculation, the indecisiveness fell away after a moment and a smile, as hard as her eyes replaced it. He held out his hand, and she took it, allowing him to help her to her feet, kissing her on the forehead.

"My child…" He crooned, his eyes glittering like hard rubies as he stroked her hair from her face.

"Father." She said, her eyes looking up into his own with no fear, only the quiet admiration of a child.

"You will have your revenge against the ones who betrayed you…" He said, his quiet tone sparkling with malice and venom.

"No…" She said, he stiffened against her, a flash of anger going to his eyes as he reached towards his wand inside his cloak. She reached out, brushing his hand away lightly, a stunned expression crossed his face as she saw the chords of muscle harden in his jaw.

"We will." She said, her eyes hard sapphires in the dim light.

Her father chuckled deep, the sound reverberating off the walls in a harsh beautiful melody as he pulled her out the cellar and towards the stairs. She was sure she heard the sound of someone whimper as they past a cell, but the thought did not disturb her anymore… the last piece of Jamie fell away, scampering to the cell that held the pitiful noise, hiding from her destiny. She was weak, and Anna would not be… she let a cruel laugh pierce the darkness, echoing in a strange harmony with her father's voice. This was her destiny… this was her time.


	49. Revenge

Anna's eyelids fluttered open, her pale eyes gazed sharply over the room. Shadows played darkly across the floor, flittering away from the soft light that poured through the cracks of the curtains. Anna stretched, noticing the places in her body that cried out in resistance and residual pain. She sat up, gazing at her palms in the dim light. The marks she had make on her palms in the cellar had scabbed over in the last two days, forming small dark crescents in the palms of her hands.

She glided down the stairs, her dark hair hidden under the hood of her cloak. She passed a few death eaters on her way to her father's study, they stopped talking when they saw her, gazing at her with anxious looks. She smiled at them and gave a nod to her head, taking note of the hurried whispers that followed in her wake. She knocked on the hard oak door, hearing a muffled sound of her father saying 'enter'. She swept into the room, taking note of her father sitting behind his desk with a slightly excited expression in his eyes, and the slightly nervous looking Lucius and Draco who stood by the unlit fireplace. She saw Draco's head turn to her, his eyes large with some emotion, but with a squeeze from his father, his gaze returned to Voldemort.

"Ah, good morning my child." He said, his gaze coming to rest on her as she came to stand in front of his desk, slightly apart from the Malfoy's. The smile on her lips widened slightly, and she gave a slight bow to her head.

"My lord." She said courteously.

"Sit." He said, motioning to an armchair placed in front of his desk.

"The Malfoy's and I were just finishing."

His gaze flicked to the two men as she sat in the chair, she could see them bow out of the corner of her vision and turn to leave, closing the door behind them with a click.

"_We have much to discuss today Anna."_ He said, switching over to Parsel tongue, she raised her eyebrows slightly and he gave her a nod, indicating that she should do the same.

"_Today, my men intend to kill the Minister of Magic and place Pius Thicknesse in his place. If they are successful, the location of Harry Potter's hideout will no longer be secret, and I will be able to rid myself of the annoyance."_ He paused, looking over her shoulder, Nagini came slithering into view, climbing up the desk. Voldemort stroked her head fondly for a moment before Anna spoke.

"_And what is it you wish for me to do father?"_ Both Nagini and Voldemorts gaze rested on her, studying her.

After a moment of thought, he spoke: "_You will be joining the death eaters who will secure Potter. I want him __alive.__ Do I make myself clear?" _He said, raising his eyebrows as he stared at her with a ferocious intensity.

"_Yes, my lord."_ She replied, bowing her gaze.

"I must go." He said, rising to his feet and causing a noise of displeasure to come from Nagini. Anna did the same, walking with him towards the door.

"Stay out of the way. Lucius will come for you when you are needed." He said, opening the door and motioning for her to exit. He pulled the door close behind them, muttering a spell under his breath. She waited a few paces away, having not been dismissed yet. He gazed at her, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, his eyes looked like burning embers in the shadow that covered his face.

"Hold out your arm." He said, motioning to her right hand. His grasp was cold as he pulled up her sleeve, revealing the jade bracelet locked tightly to her wrist.

"Because I am unsure of the location of Potter, and will not be available to modify the bracelet.." He pricked his finger with his wand, drawing out a drop of blood before the wound sealed itself over. The bracelet fell open into his hand, and he pulled away from her, placing the bracelet in his robe.

"Do not show your enemies mercy, because you shall receive none." He said, gazing over her one last time before he swept off in towards the doors, leaving Anna to stare after him.

After grabbing some breakfast and having a long, relaxing shower Anna settled down in her room with her fathers notes, attempting to study some of her fathers more difficult spells, but finding it impossible to deceifer the side notes into any sort of spell; she needed her father for that. She sighed, placing the book down on her chair as she anxiously paced the room, feeling much like a horse in the starting gate, waiting impatiently for the bell. A knock at the caused her to start, her heart thumping loudly against her ribcage as she spun around to see who it was, Draco stood awkwardly in the entrance.

"Is it time? Are we going?" She asked, realizing how pathetic she sounded as soon as the words left her mouth, her anxious voice, the face of her disgusted father floated up into her mind and she felt shame burn her cheeks.

"No… not yet, I just…" He stopped, running a hand through his hair. Anna felt a slight flair of irritation, but pushed it aside… he could amuse her after all.

She gave him a small smile.

"Come… sit." She said, patting the window seat next to her as she sat down. He returned her smile and she saw him relax slightly and give a small smile as he came over to sit beside her.

"Have you heard anything?" She asked him, he shook his head.

"No. But its still early." He shifted on the seat, looking out the window into the bright day. Anna watched the rays of light play off his eyes, making them sparkle like deep blue pools. He looked at her, and a frown creased his brow slightly.

"What?" he asked, running a hand through his hair self-conciously.

She smiled, shrugging.

They talked over light subjects, and the time passed easily between the two of them as they lounged in the sun, watching as the bright noon sky changed into the suttle reds and purples of the sunset. It was when the last rays of light passed over the horizon that Lucius burst into the room, causing both of them to jump. He spotted them, striding over as they got to their feet.

"Well?" Anna demanded. A smile crossed his face and she felt herself relax.

"Grab your masks and meet me in the entrance in two minutes." He said finally, giving a nod to Draco before turning and exiting the room. Draco gave her a nod and then headed for the door. Anna was already moving, walking to her wardrobe and throwing it open, she reached behind the clothes, feeling the smooth surface of the mask brush her fingers. She pulled it out, along with a black traveling cloak and rushed out of the room, her excitement building as she descended the stairs quickly. Draco, Lucius and several other men she didn't recognize were standing in the entranceway, some wore masks, and some carried them at their sides. Lucius came forward to her as Anna fastened her cloak around her throat.

"Your father gave me these for you… he said they would be useful." He said, handing her a long shoebox. She looked at him questioningly for a moment then opened the box. Her wand lay in there and she grasped it energetically, feeling the familiar warmth of it's touch overwhelm her for a moment. There was a square of white paper underneath; she recognized it immediately. She looked up at Lucius, a feral grin transforming her face as she held the paper up. Lucius nodded to the group and they turned to the now open entrance, walking down the steps and out onto the gravel pathway. One word rang clear in Anna's head as she silently slipped her mask on: Revenge.


	50. To Family

The clearing looked unusual to Anna, use to its serene summer days and cheerful Christmas breaks she had spent in this exact location. The memories of the place rubbed uncomfortably against her, chaffing at the peace she had made with herself… the thoughts made her grind her teeth as the small part of Jamie let out a wail at the familiarity. Lucius, and herself had apparated a short distance from the lopsided home, away from the chaos that was going on in the tent, watching as death eaters rounded up terrified guests, or apparated after those who fled. Her father had given specific orders to Lucius that she would search the home, being the most familiar with the surroundings, and would be present when the family members were being questioned, although she herself would only be an observer. Lucius, surprisingly… was given the task as her handler, if the need should arise. The idea irritated Anna even more, causing her anger to swell. They stood in the growing twilight, listening to the terrified screams of unseen people, and the occasional spark of a spell, the inky blackness around them had grown to its full power before Lucius moved forward to the now silent battleground.

"Hood up." He said stiffly, reaching back to bring his own up. Anna rolled her eyes, but did what she was told, lest word of her disobedience get back to her father. The grass crunched under their feet as the neared the tents, glowing lights hung around them in a beautiful fashion Anna gazed at them, letting her eyes adjust to the shadows the played unusually from behind her mask. She saw a group of death eaters, some masked, some bare faced with their wands out, but not pointed directly at the group they surrounded, Anna caught a few flashes of red hair from within, and changed her direction abruptly, heading swiftly towards the group. Lucius caught her arm and she spun, glaring at him.

"The house is to be inspected first." He said. Her jaw tightened and she gave a quick nod, heading off for the doorway, he followed her closely behind.

"I take it there was no initial apprehension then?" She said, carefully scanning the familiar surface with cold, calculating eyes; Jamie gave a whimper in her mind.

"No." Lucius said, also gazing around the room, but with a slightly disgusted look at the random muggle items scattered around.

She gave a nod, moving forward into the kitchen. She moved just fast enough to dodge a firecracker that came rocketing out of the living room, bursting into blue and red sparkles across the kitchen, and starting the curtains on fire. Lucius was shielding his head as Anna gazed around, she gave a snort of disgust as she saw the frightened man, muttering the counter spell, and watching as the rocket reassembled itself, and the curtains sputtered out.

She retrieved the brightly wrapped rocket off the floor as Lucius straightened his mask, although he did not replace his hood.

"Search the kitchen. There are no unusual areas in here. I will deal with this." She said, holding up the rocket. He looked at it warily, but said nothing so Anna turned, grasping her wand slightly tighter as she turned to the living room. Fred and George were sitting on the couch, looking very calm, considering the fact that a rocket had just exploded in their kitchen. They gazed at her with what would seem to the unfamiliar person to be innocent expressions. But she saw a wicked gleam in their eyes, as well as an utter loathing as they saw her mask. She smiled under it, knowing full well the utter shock they would be in if they knew it was her, soon enough.

"I believe… you dropped this." She said in a very steady tone, placing the rocket on the table as she began to look around the room. They gazed at her with slightly amused and highly annoyed expressions, watching as she carefully lifted up lids of chests, and looked behind curtains. Finding nothing she gave a nod to them.

"Gentlemen." She said, she heard one of them give a snort…, which she ignored, tracing back to find Malfoy. He shook his head as she reached him and she cursed out loud, heading to the staircase. Three more rooms, and still nothing. She knew the best possibility was Ron's room, but she couldn't help but look at one more first; her old room. She pushed open the door gently, seeing a figure sitting on the bed which has once been hers, his shoulders were hunched, and he was sitting in the dark. Anna muttered a spell, watching as the face of her past came to haunt her; Charlie. He glared at her.

"He's not here." He spat.

His words were like a slap to her face, having spent all that time in the cell, pining for just a moment with him. It made Anna even stronger, her eyes narrowing at him before she raked the room.

"Haven't you people done enough?" He hissed at her, pushing himself off the bed.

"Mr. Weasly." She heard Lucius's voice from door, she spun to see his wand pointed directly at Charlie. Charlie's eyes narrowed, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides, but he said nothing. Lucius's head tilted slightly to the side; as if he was considering him, his eyes flicked to Anna for a moment, then back to him.

"Charlie, is it?"

Charlie stiffened.

"Now, why don't you be a good lad and go join your family down in the front yard… your mother must be worried sick about your absence by now." Lucius said, mockingly.

Charlie's eyes narrowed, but he pushed passed Lucius, they listened to the sound of his footsteps echoing as he descended the stairs.

Anna's breath left her in a silent sigh of relief, which shocked her; she hadn't even realized she had been holding her breath until now. Lucius gave her a nod, and they continued on to the house.

Nothing. They found nothing. No clue as to where Potter was, or where he was going. Anna seethed as she stomped across the grass, walking towards where ministry officials and death eaters were questioning various party guests. She took a tally of the Weasly's: only Ronald was gone, not surprising.

She made her way to the tall Death eater questioning Arthur, listening to the discussion.

"I have no clue as to the whereabouts of Harry Potter." He said in a flustered tone.

"But you did, we have proof that Mr. Potter was indeed present at the wedding, and that he was in fact, under your protection." The man said gruffly.

"He was… not anymore."

"So you admi—" Anna laid an arm on the man, drawing the attention of both Mr. Weasly and the death eater, as well as several other people around them.

Her sharp eyes pierced through her mask, causing Arthur's gaze to fall to the floor as she stared at him, he shifted uncomfortably.

"I have no doubt you do not know the location of Potter, Mr. Weasly. My concern… lies in the fact that I was unable to account for your youngest son Ronald. He appears to be missing as well. Can you verify the location of him at this moment? Or, if he became swept up in the chaos, where he would have gone?" She said in a serious tone, she saw several of the Weasly's fidget.

She smiled when no reply came.

"I thought so. Gentlemen." She called to the ministry men who turned to look at her.

"Make sure you do another check at this home to make sure Ronald has found his way home safely, will you?" She said, turning to Lucius.

"We're done here."

Lucius gave a nod, turning to walk away from the group, Anna followed him a few strides before stopping and spinning to face the group again.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She said, her voice causing a silence to fall over the group, often like her father's own did. She reached towards a table near her in the tent; it had glasses of champagne still full on it. She grasped one, taking it lightly in her hand, as she used the other to pull of her mask. She heard several gasps come from the group, and the sound of someone choking. She smiled evilly, raising the glass towards where Bill and Fleur stood. He was pale as he looked at her, and he looked as though he was holding up Fleur.

"A toast, to my Brother and his new Wife." She said, her voice ringing out over the silent setting. She took a long drink of the champagne, making a noise of satisfaction before pulling out a piece of paper from her cloak. She threw it towards their feet, ignoring Fleur as she flinched away from it.

"It was so thoughtful of you to think of me when you were planning it, since it is obvious you have not been as… aware of me since June, it is curious though that although you abandoned me, that you would want to share such an occasion." She pretended to consider the matter for a moment before shaking her head.

"But no matter…" She said calmly, gazing over the top of her Champagne as she took another drink. Molly was crying, her silent sobs giving Anna satisfaction as she watched the woman in distress leaning against Arthur. Charlie was also being held up by Fred and George, he looked ready to pass out. She noticed now that one of the twin's ears was missing, but felt no empathy for them.

"I would like to make another toast." She said smoothly, raising her glass.

"To family… and to those that have shown me that loyalty, and family have no place together in this world, and blood is the only thing you can depend on." Her eyes blazed as she looked at the group; Anna murmured a spell into the drink as she dropped the glass, letting it shatter on the hard dance floor. Fire erupted from the liquid, spreading quickly as it lashed out at the dry wood poles. She smiled coldly, gazing at the family of traitors before turning her back, walking to where Lucius stood with the gathered death eaters. She turned around, seeing flames leap high in the air, but the now alone Weasly's did not move, paralyzed on their front lawn. Anna could see Fred and George hunched over the figure of Charlie who had now lost consciousness and felt a leap of happiness. Revenge was a sweet taste in her mouth, coupled with that of destruction and chaos. She apparated from the home, the flames whirling beautiful circles in her mind and she appeared in front of the manor once again. Now, she was home.


	51. Unchosen path

AN: Sorry for the late update everyone! I had my first horse show of the season two weeks ago, and I just lost my dog on 14 years….

So this note is about some of the negative reviews about this story, saying how dark and dreary it is and how they hate the main character. I have attempted to portray a realistic (well, fairly) main character; one who is susceptible to pain, emotion, indecision, and things we face in real life. Not every decision is going to make you look like a hero; some will make you look like a villain. Anyways.. the moral of my rant is: I really don't care if you like Anna/Jamie. What I do care about is if my character makes you feel something; whether positive or negative emotions, and you could relate to at least one of her struggles. If you did, then I have done my job.

If you wanted a predictable fanfiction I suggest something from the twilight section, they tend to lack imagination.

J.R.

Anna stared at the sheet of paper in front of her face bitterly, her mind numbly skimming over the words she was suppose to be retaining. She sighed, leaning back into the hard chair and pinching her brow with fingers in frustration. The muffled sounds of busy workers filtered through her door, not helping to calm her unwanted agitation. A knock sounded at the door and her hard eyes snapped open as the door creaked open, emitting the racket beyond the door for a moment before the door was shut again. She surveyed the nervous-looking man in front of her with an icy stare.

"What Percy?" She snapped, looking down at her work strewn desk again as she pretended to work.

"The minister would like to see you in his office." He said in a squeaky voice. Anna could see him fidget as he did so, clutching at the notebook in his grasp even tighter. She returned her hard gaze to her former brother, taking in his ragged appearance, and slightly bitter expression; although he did his best to hide his resentment. She gave him a nod, turning her gaze back to the paper.

He fidgeted again, and coughed; trying to draw her attention. Anna's eyes narrowed and she looked up from the desk.

"Yes?" She said coldly.

"I… I." He stuttered, going silent.

"You? What?" She said, trying to reign in the anger that bloomed inside of her at his ignorance.

He stuttered for a few more moments reminding Anna of a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.

She looked Percy once over, watching him shiver as she smirked at his flustered appearance.

"You may go now, back to whatever mindless job they have you performing." She said, ice seeping through her words. She watched the hurt expression cross his face before he turned, striding out through the door and carelessly pulling the door so it sat slightly open. She felt some part of herself smile in satisfaction at the humiliation he had faced; after all he was a member of the Weasly family, even if he was estranged.

She gave a final glare towards the stacks of paperwork that sat on her desk in large heaps, contemplating setting the whole lot on fire; she decided against it, realizing the punishment her father would no doubt give her if it were to happen. She pushed the door to her office open, pulling it shut gently until the lock clicked. Gold words flashed across the door: Anna. T. Riddle, unlike most of the other doors, hers did not bear a job title… something that made people even more wary. The large room outside quieted substantially at her appearance; many people shrinking away from her as she passed, their eyes averted. She ignored them all, walking with an easy gait to the lift and stepping into it. Normal workers came and went, pressing up against the side of the elevator furthest from herself, throwing the occasional glance in her direction. She waited for her floor, unperturbed by their gazes; it had become something of normality in the last few days and she no longer bothered with annoyance towards them. She stepped off the lift and onto the sixth floor, walking straight to the end of the hall and into the Minister's office without so much as a knock.

Pius raised his hand as she shut the door behind herself and gave her a nod.

"Anna." He said courteously, turning back to his work.

"Minister." She said curtly, coming to stand in front of his desk. He continued to scratch something on a sheet of paper for a few moments before turning back to her once again. He surveyed her with a calculating expression, as if he could extract information from her by just gazing at her. She shifted on the spot, crossing her arms and raising her brows at him in impatience.

He leaned back in his chair after a moment, his fingers bridging together.

"I have found a suitable role for you in the Ministry that can benefit both this… lovely establishment, and your father's work. After your unintended… slip, I have had to spare many hours finding a suitable replacement."

Anna nearly winced as he mentioned her… slip a month earlier, but her face remained blank as she remembered…

_He had become a master of controlling her pain; keeping her just on the precipice of passing out, but far enough away from it that the blackness only lingered on her vision, leaving her in agony. Complete agony. A deep, un-human moan came from behind her lips as she lay on the hard wood, gasping in shallow breaths that were never enough. Another flash of white passed her vision as the pain resumed; thousand of sharp knives stabbing into her flesh, drawing silent screams from her. He let it go abruptly, bending down to where she lay shaking uncontrollably on the floor._

"_You stupid child!" He hissed at her, swiping at her head with a closed fist. To weak to move it hit her right eye, drawing another sound of pain from her limp figure. _

_He stood up; she could see her nostrils flare in the dim light the moon provided._

"_Please…. I don't know what I did."_

_He glared at her through his piercing red eyes before turning away._

"_You, my foolish daughter, have cost me a valuable position in this war."_

_He stood by the window for a long while looking out onto the moonlit yard, his face illuminated in the eerie white glow the moon provided. Anna felt blood from her injured face trickle down onto the floor below her, but was too afraid to move and brush it away; lest she incur the wrath of her father once again._

_After what seemed like an eternity to Anna, he turned and walked towards the door, shutting it with a slam behind her. He didn't even look at her. _

_It wasn't until the next morning, when Thicknesse had come to retrieve her, that she had found out what exactly she had done to upset her father._

_It turned out, the reason he didn't want her to talk to the Weasly's… or to remove her mask as Malfoy had failed to mention… was because he intended for her to go back to them, and resume her former life; the only exception being that she would report their activities, as well as the orders to him. She had ruined it the moment she had taken off her mask, taking her dramatic revenge on them. It was a waste now…. And it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Thicknesse had informed her that she would be working in the ministry… as a desk clerk no less… until they could find a suitable position for her, but he didn't know how long, or if that would happen. Her father had left late that night, and she hadn't heard from him since._

Anna stood a little straighter, anxiously waiting for him to continue. He sat there; enjoying the torment he knew he was putting her through, a small smile on his lips. When the silence reached into the minutes, Anna spoke.

"Well?" She said, the anxious edge that crept into her voice made her curse in her head.

His smile broadened and a malicious twinkle crept into his eyes.

"Because your schooling has not been completed, and your father is no longer available to continue your lessons, the decision has been made to send you back to Hogwarts."

She felt her stomach drop.

"No…" She said, her mouth slightly agape in shock.

He nodded.

"On the contrary my dear, right now it is one of the best places for you. You will only be returning for the year, and by that time our hold over the ministry and the people will be much more secure. You have a gap in your education in the dark arts as well, which will be sufficiently filled between your private lessons with Professor Snape and the other Dark Art instruction. It is important to your father that you complete your education, and It was him, in fact that came up with the plan… although you will be in Slytherin house, you will also be able to keep an eye on Potter's younger friends… and will report any findings to your headmaster."

He rose from his desk, ignoring the infuriated look on Anna's face as he turned to the fireplace and lit it with a flick of his wand.

"Although school is a month away, your daily lessons with Severus with commence tomorrow. Clothes and supplies have already been sent to Headmaster Snape, and he will be meeting you in his office to get you settled in your new dorm room." He said, the tone in his voice showed that this was a statement, not a choice. He motioned her towards the fireplace as he took a jar from the top of his mantle; it was full of floo powder; she looked at his once more, desperate for another option, rather than repeating her last year like some invalid… but his just gave a nod towards the powder. She sighed, taking a handful, and stepping into the fireplace as she scattered the powder. Dumbledore's office as she remembered it popped into her head.

"Hogwarts." She said clearly, bracing herself against the familiar sensation that carried her away to her un-chosen path.


	52. Memories

Green. It was everywhere. On the beds… the walls… even the ceiling was tinted an eerie shade from the underside of the lake.

Anna lay on the bed, watching the flickering ceiling with blank eyes, trying to still her mind. It had been her biggest test so far, coming back to Hogwarts… every corridor held a memory, and the part of her that still held on to her past life enjoyed forcing these images to the forefront of her mind. Hugging Ginny after a Quidditch game…. Playing practical jokes with the twins and Lee… kissing Charlie...

The unwanted thoughts danced around her head, bring with them a physical ache for what had been…

what should have been….

Anna sat bolt upright in bed, shocked at the last thought. It had been merely a whisper of Jamie, but the words shook her to her core, rattling the very foundations of Anna's beliefs. Anna beat that part of her mind back, forcing it into a tiny corner as she rose off her bed and walked out into the dark common room. She hadn't been back for a day and yet she already wished she was back at the manor… it had been safer there… easier to avoid Jamie with her father's constant presence. She shook her head, reciting a list of ingredients for a potion her father had invented. He had called it… Occidere

She was round off the list with snake venom and felt a sense of relief. The images had stopped, and the pain had faded from her chest. She was safe again.

She leaned against a worn chair, deciding exactly what she should do now. Her lessons with Snape were not set to start until tomorrow, and after he had quickly shown her the Slytherin common room, he had excused himself; obviously still annoyed at their last meeting. She smiled as she remembered the crunching of his nose under her hand, a ripple of dark satisfaction running through her. The feeling faded after a moment, much to her annoyance, and she was once again left with the ebbing thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her self-control. She shook her head again, this time a little more forcefully and made her way out of the common room, climbing the stairs up towards the main hall.

She was surprised that the coldness of the dungeons had not affected her yet… although it was far from winter… maybe she had become use to the cold in her time at the Malfoy's, especially down in the dungeons. She grimaced at the thought. She hit the top stair and looked around at the empty entranceway of Hogwarts.

Dusty light filtered through the windows on either side of the door. It looked different that she had remembered it… she titled her head, trying to come up with the right word for it.. Sad? No. Cold.

A movement flickered in the corner of her vision, and Anna turned towards it; tense. She saw the strict, neat woman who had taught her for the last seven years striding towards her, a hard look on her face as she gazed her up and down.

"Can I help you?" Professor McGonagall said with a harsh voice, crossing her arms as she came to stand in front of her.

Anna smiled. At one point, the woman may have intimidated her, but no longer; she was nothing in comparison to her father.

"I'm glad to see they let you keep your job Professor." She said politely, a thin smile on her lips.

The woman's gaze hardened.

"I'm sorry? I don't believe we've…" She stopped, her eyes widening as she took Anna in… She made a noise in her throat, but seemed lost for words. She looked on the edge of fainting, her skin a pale hue.

"J-j-Jamie?" She asked, her lips trembling.

Anna raised her chin, forcing hardness into her eyes as Jamie whimpered in her mind.

"She will be addressed as Anna now." A voice came from behind her. She saw the woman jump a little at the voice, and an expression of loathing come over her face. She nodded stiffly. Anna heard footsteps, and Severus appeared behind her right shoulder.

"That will be all Miss Riddle." He said, his voice hard and authoritative. It took Anna a second to realize he was talking to her, but when she did she started forward, giving a slight nod to McGonagall as she passed her.

She could hear them talking in harsh, raised voices from the deserted passageway she had walked into; their voices echoing off the hard stone walls in a meaningless wave of sound.

Anna ground her teeth together in irritation, increasing her stride to carry her as far away from the two teachers as she possibly could. She didn't care where she ended up, as long as it was far, far away.

It was several minutes before she became aware that she was walking the same path she had many times before; straight to the Gryffindor common room. She stopped only a few hall lengths from the Fat Lady, leaning up against the wall and closing her eyes, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. She listened to the quiet chatter of curious paintings, feeling their gaze resting upon her, and to the beating of her heart as it became slower… slower.

"So! It is true! I thought the paintings were making up stories again!"

Anna's eyes snapped open, and she gazed at the misty figure as it floated towards her.

His eyes regarded her with a kind, and curious expression as he approached her, tugging at his ear to keep his head upright.

"Hello Nicholas." She said, forcing her voice to be friendly.

He smiled at her as he came to stop in front of her, then his expression morphed into surprise. He pointed a finger at her.

"You!"

"Me?" Anna said, raising an eyebrow.

"You're the one they were all looking for, after the fight last June… Jamie, isn't it?'

Anna felt her stomach jump at the mention of the name, and opened her mouth to tell him off, but he continued.

"Merlin, they were so worried about you, especially the Weasly boy. What's his name? Oh yes! Charlie… He spent days wandering around the castle… " He paused, his eyes becoming cloudy as he remembered. He shimmered slightly as he shivered at the thought.

"The look in his eyes…" He said, and then his eyes came back to her.

"But it seems they found you. I'm glad. Now tell me, what are you doing back at Hogwarts? You were in your final year I believe… Gryffindor too from what I can remember." He said, looking down at the Slytherin crest on her uniform. She fidgeted, unnerved by the Ghost.

She felt an anger rise up in her. Who was he to ask these questions? To raise up things that were better left buried?

She glared at Nicholas.

"I don't answer to you ghost." She snapped. Nicholas raised his eyebrows, his expression changing to one of annoyance.

"Now if you excuse me." She snipped, turning on her heel and going back the way she came from.

He made a huffing noise.

"Well, I never!" She heard him mutter.

It was going to be a long, long year.


	53. Banquets and Burdens

She could here the sounds of excited students as they made there way to the Great Hall, their footsteps echoed through the common room, distracting Anna from the book Snape had assigned her to read. She knew she was expected to attend the beginning of term banquet, but the mountains of homework Snape had assigned to her took priority; not to mention she did not want to deal with the glares of students, whispering behind their hands… She glared at the roof as someone shrieked above her, causing her to smear her ink across her homework. She cursed under her breath, storming off to her room and grabbing a cloth. She stepped back into the common room and stopped. She saw a familiar gold head bent over her work as he examined it. Regaining her composure, Anna strode over to the sheet, throwing the towel overtop of it. The boy's blue eyes snapped up, following her towards him.

"What are you doing here Draco?" She murmured, dabbing at the ink with more force then necessary.

"Headmaster Snape sent me." He said, leaning down beside her and helping her blot the sheet.

Anna gave up on the ruined sheet, flopping down into a chair with a sigh of frustration.

" I can't go to the banquet Draco…. I have too much work to do." She said, putting her head in her hands.

She felt him sit down beside her.

"Are you sure that's why Anna?" He asked quietly.

She raised her head out of her hands, looking into his blue eyes. He wasn't accusing her; she could see the concern from the way his brow scrunched.

"I'm worried… about them too if it helps. After last… June." He gulped; she could see the fear in his eyes now. She knew exactly how he felt, she had spent the entire month dreading facing her old friends.. and her new dorm-mates.

She nodded, a bitter laugh coming from her throat.

"Don't we make quite the couple? Two death eaters afraid of a bunch of students…" She said. Draco smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

She got up, reaching her hand out to Draco.

"Screw homework, term hasn't even started yet."

He chuckled this time, taking her hand, he pulled himself up, standing close to her. Anna felt her breath catch slightly as they stood together.

Their eyes met, and she saw the same look reflected in Draco's.

"Your uniform suits you…" He murmured. Anna nodded, pulling her gaze away from him as she took a step forward, realizing their hands were still entwined.

She looked back at him, nodding towards the exit.

"Come on, it's gotten pretty quiet up there… they're probably already settled." Draco blinked, clearing his head and nodded, letting her drag him up the stairs.

They clambered into the Great Hall where students were thankfully still getting seated. Anna paused as she entered the room, her feet failing her. It was only Draco's gentle pulling that made her start forward again. She followed close behind him, keeping her head up.

She saw several people look at her, whispering behind their hands, mostly from Gryffindor. She saw Ginny… Neville… Luna… but she looked away quickly, focusing on the back of Draco's head. He came to stand by the Slytherin table. she recognized several faces; Crabbe and Goyle from the manor, as well as two girls, although their names eluded her. Malfoy sat down in an empty seat next to a girl, who squeezed over to give him room. She looked at Draco with adoration before throwing a scorching look at Anna.

"Sorry, there's no room for you here, why don't you try down by the first years?" She said coldly, laughing as she placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. No one laughed. A few gazed between Anna and the girl with slightly terrified expressions, afraid that she would kill the girl no doubt… or possibly break her nose in like she had with their headmaster. Draco glared at the girl, shrugging her hand off his shoulder with a disgusted look.

"You're right, there isn't enough room here Pansy, thank you for volunteering your seat." He said. A few people around them snickered. She saw the girl pale, and shoot a look at her.

"Its fine Draco…" Anna said, aware of how many stares she was drawing.

"No it's not. Pansy, move or I will move you." He said harshly to the girl.

"D-Draco?" the girl said in a high-pitched voice, her lower lip trembling, there were tears in her eyes. Draco's own narrowed in anger, and he gestured for her to move. The girl got up with a sound of indignation, stomping off down the table. The chuckling from the Slytherins quieted down once Anna had slid into the now vacant seat. She looked at Draco, and gave a nod of appreciation he gave her a nod back, turning to face the table.

"You've met Greg and Vince, this is Blaise, Theo, and Harper. " He said, not bothering with her name as he pointed to the individuals. They nodded towards her with looks ranging from respect to confusion, although the ones who did not know who she was knew better than to question Draco as to why she was so important.

"Welcome to Slytherin." Blaise said, a knowing smile plastered his smug face.

She gave a nod, shaking her hand through her tangled hair.

"How long have you been here?" Theo asked, receiving glares from Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.

She smiled at him, trying to make him feel comfortable despite the angry looks.

"Its ok guys… I've been here a month Theo, just getting settled into my new house and such." She said, dismissing it with a wave of her hand as she skimmed over the details. She had spent much of her last month locked up with Snape in Dumbledore's old office, pouring over old books as he breathed down her neck. The thought made her agitated, but she shook it off, realizing everyone was now staring at the front of the room. The sorting had started, and Anna watched the young, frightened faces as they approached the hat, and the overjoyed expressions as their house was decided. She couldn't help but notice that the cheering of the houses was much more subdued than in previous years, that is except for the Slytherin house. Anna clapped politely every time someone was initiated into her house, but she was lost in thought, thinking of when she had been sorted…

_Her knees knocked together as Professor McGonagall called her name._

"_Weasly, Jamie." _

_She started forward, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other as her feet threatened to give out. She looked up with wide, terrified eyes towards the teacher's, noticing Albus Dumbledore staring at her with a kind expression; a tender smile creased the corners of his eyes as he silently encouraged her. She sat down in the chair, facing out towards the crowd of people as the hat lowered over her head._

"_Hmmm, interesting…. Another Weasly. Gryffindor could serve you well…" She felt her heart leap in her chest._

"_Yes!" Her mind cried out._

"_Please let it be Gryffindor."_

"_But…"_

_She felt her heart sink._

"_I sense another side of you, one which has lay dormant for quite some time… yes, there is something here… it craves power, leadership. Slytherin may be your path…" _

_She felt as though she would choke._

"_Please… no.. please…" She whispered desperately. _

"_No? Slytherin would save you much grief… and trouble. I fear your life will be far from easy."_

"_Anything but them… please."_

"_Well, if you will not go into Slytherin, you will need all the courage you can get. Then it must be… GRYFFINDOR!"_

_The hat deafened the yelling and screaming from the table as he spoke quickly._

"_Remember Jamie, Family is where your heart is… it does not matter what blood it holds if you are faithful to you heart… remember that… remember."_

The hall came into focus once again. Anna stared gravely forward; the sounds around her seemed to be underwater, moving slowly.

She had forgotten what the hat had told her that night so long ago… with the excitement of being in Gryffindor, not to mention the stress of finding her classes and dorm without getting lost she dismissed it as the rambling of an old, confused hat. But now… now she understood. It was a warning, of things to come. She gazed at the hat now, wondering how it knew so much…

The hall grew silent around her, and she looked up. The hat was gone, and now a podium stood in its place. The headmaster stood behind it, looking out over the crowd.

"Students of Hogwarts." Snape's voice boomed out over the hall, echoing in the silence.

He gazed out over the crowd as he continued.

"Your time at Hogwarts is short, and it grows even shorter as I stand in front of you. In your time here, there will be a great movement, both in the Ministry, and in life, as we know it. We must stand under one unanimous idea: Magic is might."

A ripple went out through the crowd as students talked in hushed voices. The Headmaster waited until they had stopped before he continued.

"As this idea becomes more solidified, we will enter into a new era of the Wizarding world, with you all as the embassadors of this great ideal. Although you are still students of this school I see a wealth of opportunity sitting before me. Will you embrace it? Or squander this gift? That, is your decision. I suggest you choose wisely." He said, his eyes resting on the Gryffindor house, where several noises of upset could be heard.

"I would like to introduce our new staff to you: Professors Amycus and Alecto Carrow. They will be taking over for myself and Professor Burbage, who is unavailable for lessons." Anna ignored the turning feeling she got in her gut at the mention of Burbage, frowning at the pair of leering, squat Professors. She made a noise of disgust, but disguised it as a cough when several heads turned towards her.

"In closing, I wish to convey my deepest regrets in Albus Dumbledore's untimely death… but in this time of grief, we must see the light of a bright shining future, the way Albus would have wanted it."

The hall was silent as he ended, turning away from them and walking back to the teacher's table. It took a moment before the Slytherin table burst into applause, hooting and hollering loud enough to cover up the fact that the other three tables were silent. Anna clapped, her eyes surveying the teachers. The majority wore thinly veiled masks of contempt, sitting very still in their chairs. Slughorn clapped nervously, shifting in his seat as his eyes surveyed the room, only Alecto and Amycus clapped whole-heartedly, yelling and cheering with the best of the Slytherins. Food appeared on the tables moments after the headmaster had sat down. Anna stared at the food, she was no longer hungry. It had been nearly three weeks since her last flashback, and the reminder of Burbage's fate left a stale taste in her mouth. She pushed her plate away, making a move to get up. Draco grabbed her arm.

"Sit down." He hissed to her. She looked down at him with narrowed eyes, but the pleading look he gave her made her think twice, and she sat down.

He released her arm, reaching forward and grabbing a spoon he pushed some mashed potatoes onto her empty plate.

"Eat something." He whispered.

"Draco-." She said, shooting him a look of annoyance.

"Anna listen to me, how would it look if you left right after Snape's speech? I'm pretty sure your… _father_" He whispered the word to her.

"Would have a few things to… say about it." She froze. He was right… god she had been so foolish… She dished food onto her plate, sneaking a peak at the head table. Snape, as well as Amycus and Alecto were staring right at her… she looked back down at her plate, forcing the panic that came up in her throat down as she took a bite of the food, not paying attention to it.

"Thanks…" She whispered to Draco.

He shrugged, chewing on a piece of food.

The rest of the dinner passed easily, there was banter among the Slytherins, and although she was included in the conversation, she couldn't help but feel like an outsider. They had grown up with each other… spending the last six years in classes with one another, sharing notes… much like she had with the Gryffindors. It made her feel lonely.

By the time the plates of desert had cleared, she was more than ready to retreat to her bed, her stomach still in knots, although she had managed to swallow a few morsels of food. The students began to move sluggishly towards the door, and Draco rose from his seat, putting a hand on her shoulder as he brushed past her, calling out to the first years. She glanced at the boys across from her, they shifted uncomfortably, and Anna smiled and stepped forward, mingling in with the steady stream of students headed towards the exit. She couldn't tell if they feared her, or were ready to kiss her feet, but they were starting to get on her nerves. She hoped they would calm down at the term progressed. She pushed her way through the maze of people heading upstairs, routing off to the dungeons. She climbed past the gargoyle and into the now crowded space. A few faces turned towards her, and she saw a couple nod in respect, she gave a stiff nod back and headed to the dorm room, walking quickly into the room before anyone had time to strike up a conversation. The hushed whispers she heard through the door stopped as she walked in. There were several girls huddled together, she saw the girl from earlier… Pansy, she was standing in the middle, her face streaked with tears. The girls around her glared at Anna. She smiled back at them, walking over to her things.

"Don't mind me." She said lightly, opening her trunk. She heard the sniffling stop, and the girl came over to her, placing her hand on her trunk and slamming the lid shut.

Anna looked at her, torn between amusement and annoyance.

"Look, I don't know who you think you are, but Draco is mine." She said, her eyes glittering like hard stones.

It occurred to Anna, that she was trying to intimidate her. She let out a laugh at the pathetic attempt, much to the girls horror. She wiped a tear away as she stopped, looking at the girl with sparkling eyes.

"You are going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to intimidate me." She said, a cold, thin smile on her face. The girl's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms.

"You have no idea who you are messing with… girl."

Anna snorted, rolling her eyes as she opened her trunk again as she ignored the girl.

She glared at Anna with ferocity that Anna would compare to a kitten after what her father had put her through, storming off to her bed and pulling the curtains shut. Anna looked at the closed curtains.

"You certainly don't.." She murmured under her breath, climbing into her own bed.


	54. temper Temper

Anna stared at the ceiling above her, twirling her fingers around her hair absently. She had been awake since five this morning, and had been shooting glances at the clock every five minute since then. It was five-thirty now, and the rest of the girls were making small noises of sleep, still resting comfortably in their beds. She wasn't sure what had woken her so early… perhaps a dream… whatever it was, it had left her feeling agitated. She turned to the clock once again, the time 5:40 stared back at her mockingly. She glared at it, sighing as she swung her legs onto the cold stone floor, shivering slightly at the cold texture against her bare feet. She stood up, padding quietly over to her trunk and pulling out her uniform. She slipped the clothes on quietly, taking her time to button her long shirt sleeves carefully down; concealing her mark from prying eyes. She heard one of the girls make a small cooing noise just as she slipped her last shoe on, and saw the girl move restlessly in her bed. It was almost six now, and the other girls would be awake soon. Anna decided that after last night's encounter it would be best if she was not there when they woke. She grabbed her bag with Snape's assignments and slipped out into the common area. It was deserted, not surprisingly, and Anna moved quickly through the space, heading it's entrance and slipping out into the equally empty hall. She didn't meet anyone as she made her was to a east facing window. She sat down in the weak rays of the rising sun, pulling out her homework and starting to scribble down notes. The school begun to come alive around her, students talking as they rushed past her on their way to breakfast. Nearly an hour later Anna closed her books up with a sigh, she was nearly done the written notes, although she still needed to review the spells before their meeting later that day. Her stomach rumbled loudly, protesting that the work could wait, Anna agreed, pushing her books into her bag and walking down towards the Great Hall. She sat down at the Slytherin table and pulling a bowl of porridge towards herself as she actively avoided looking in the direction of Pansy who was shooting glares in her direction. Someone sat down beside her with a plunk and Anna looked over to see Draco frowning at a piece of paper. He slammed it down on the table, grumbling as he pulled a plate of eggs towards himself.

Anna grabbed at the piece of paper.

"Hey—" Draco said, but she ignored him, looking at the class schedule he had. She hadn't received hers yet…. but she had all the books for the semester in her trunk, so she knew that at some point, she was suppose to attend class.

Her brow scrunched as she looked at the paper.

"Honestly Draco, I don't see what you're so upset about…" She said, handing it back to him.

He sighed, putting it into his jacket pocket.

"It's not the schedule… its—" He waved it off.

"Forget it…" He mumbled.

"What?" She asked.

He looked at her for a second and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I just…. I never thought I would come back here… after last year and all."

Anna felt her chest tighten. She reached out, laying her hand over his. He looked at her with a stunned expression.

"I know…" She whispered.

"Let's just get through this…" She said. Their eyes locked, and for the first time in a long time, she felt like someone understood her. He leaned towards her, and she felt her heart flutter in her chest… he smelled like cloves and shampoo...

A knock to the back of her head startled her, and she turned around. Pansy glared at her over her shoulder, a sinister smile on her face as she walked away with her friends, Anna could hear them giggling.

Anna felt her blood boil as she stood up, seeing a shade of red as she stalked towards the girl.

"Anna…. Anna!" She heard Draco call after her, but she ignored him.

Someone stopped in front of her, obstructing her view of Pansy. She looked up at the person, furious, and wondering who dared step in her way.

"Move Snape." She hissed at him, trying to dodge past him. He grabbed her arm tightly.

"No, Miss Riddle." He said calmly. Anna looked at him, her eyes narrowing.

"I think it's best if we continue this discussion in my office." He said, his eyes flickering to each side of her. Anna looked around, noticing for the first time the group of students who were staring at her and Snape and felt her cheeks burn with embaressment. She nodded to him mutely and he inclined his head, turning around with a sweeping movement and walking with long strides out of the great hall; Anna trailed him sullenly.

The long walk to Snape's office was taken in silence. Anna took that time to calm herself, focusing on her breath as she ignored the occasional twinges that she felt.

Snape swept into his office, taking a seat. Anna sat across the desk, folding her arms across her chest as she glared at Snape.

He looked at her with a dull stare before speaking.

"Although the dark lord does not wish for me to… discourage your temper, I do have an obligation to keep my students safe."

Anna's eyes narrowed.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her with scrutiny for a moment before dropping his head to gaze at his desk; he pulled open a drawer, pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it over to her. Anna shot him a look off irritation at having been ignored before looking down at the sheet.

"Your schedule for this term, as approved by your father."

She looked down at the paper, it resembled her former terms… slightly. Although many of her former subjects were now missing, her day was full. Transfiguration had been replaced by Muggle studies, Charms and Care of Magical Creatures by lessons with Snape. Her face soured as she noticed that History of magic was still present, and potions.. though she held her tongue.

Snape cleared his throat, causing Anna's eyes to snap up to him.

"That is all Miss Riddle. I suggest you make your way to Professor Slughorn's classroom now."

Snape turned to the mountain of paperwork on his desk, ending their conversation. Anna folded up the piece of paper, placing it in her robe pocket before heading out the headmaster's door, she made sure to close it with a loud 'thud', letting Snape know that she was still annoyed.


	55. the Safety of Solitude

Anna's schedule settled down into a steady routine as the days past, and next to sitting next to Draco, silently taking notes in her classes she had avoided bringing up their… unorthodox friendship. As soon as class ended she would silently slip out of her seat at the back of the room, keeping her head down as she memorized an incantation for Snape's lessons, or went over a set of potion ingredients in her mind. Although Hogwarts had been her sanctuary in the past, it seemed now that only stress and more pressure lay in store for her, the days of relaxing by the lake now replaced by the fearful letters Snape received from her father each week. Most of the time they had nothing to do about her, much to her relief…. But she knew that if her grades slipped…. Or if she took one step out of place, punishment… most likely by him would not be far to follow.

Anna sat in her favorite spot of the castle. She had stumbled upon it one day during the summer, the light fell through it's skylights in dusty rays as the sun neared the horizon, bringing the fragile light of the dimming sky tumbling onto the cracked stones of the floor. It reminded Anna of a church her father… Arthur… had taken her to once.

_She was seven at the time, and although many things had made her feel small in her large world, this… church as her father had called it made her feel like an ant. Her father examined a book that sat at the front of the room as she stared at the vaulted ceilings in awe._

"_Dad?" Her voice carried through the silent temple, echoing back off the walls._

_He looked up at her._

"_What do they do here exactly?" She asked, brushing her finger over the wick of a half burnt candle._

_He put down the book, coming over to her and kneeling to look at her in the eyes._

"_This is where they celebrate." He said._

_She frowned._

"_It doesn't look like a place to have a party…" _

_He laughed, it sounded like bells to her, ringing throughout the large open space._

"_I should have been more clear… this is where they celebrate life… count their blessing so to speak." _

_She looked at the thick layer of dust covering the benches around her._

"_Why did they stop?" She asked._

_He frowned, scratching his head as he looked around at the deserted place._

"_I don't know…"_

A group of students shuffling past brought Anna back from her memory. She gave her head a little shake, looking down at her half-done essay she needed for Snape's lesson tomorrow. She sighed, realizing that she had no idea what she had been writing about, and would most likely have to restart the paragraph for the paper to make any sort of sense. She frowned to herself… the flashbacks were getting worse… maybe even bad enough for them to show… which would be bad… very bad, especially if her father found out that she still had unresolved feelings about the Weaslys. She threw her quill down on the sheet, putting her head in her hands.

"Anna?"

The voice made her jump, causing her books to slide to the floor. She jumped up, gathering them into a pile, a pale hand stretch out, holding a book towards her, she looked up, the pale blue eyes that met her own.

She took the book from him gently, averting her gaze.

"I have to go…" She murmured, sliding past him.

"Anna." He said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her around to face himself.

She looked at him with shocked eyes.

He let go of her wrist when he saw her expression, a look of embaressment in his eyes. He shook his head, letting out a sigh as he rubbed his neck with one hand.

"Sorry…" He muttered stepping to the side and staring out the window, letting her know that she could go.

Anna hesitated, watching the hurt, and confusion on Draco's face as he looked out the window.

She let out her breath, not realizing she had been holding it, and stepped up beside Draco. He looked at her for a moment, and then turned his gaze back to the setting sun. They stood in the peaceful stillness of the dusk for awhile, watching as the sun dragged lower and lower towards the horizon.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" He asked finally, the question she knew was coming, but it didn't help the sting of his sad words any.

"This isn't a good idea Draco…" She said after a long pause. He looked at her, she could see it out of the corner of her eye and she turned to him.

"We both know—" Her words were cut off as he came forward towards her, their lips so close that a deep breath would draw them to touch. His breath was hot against her, it made her skin tingle and her hair stand on end.

"I don't care." He said, closing the distance between them, and embracing her in his arms. It felt like ice running through her veins, numbing… beautiful ice… like the first frost of the season. He pulled back, looking into her eyes… and she started to cry.


	56. Trust nothing

AN: Please forgive me for the late update! I have been unbearably busy. But that is no excuse… really this was the hardest chapter for me to write… blah. I think it turned out… ok. oh well, sorry guys!  
Reviews are always appreciated! They help keep me inspired to write thank you to all my supporters and followers! Every one of you is appreciated!  
J.R.

…

Draco had lead her back to their dorm after she calmed down, kissing her goodnight outside of their common room before leaving her to go to the boys dormitory. Anna fell asleep with a smile on her lips, for the first time in a long time.

Anna had to skip breakfast the next morning to make up for the lack of studying she had done the night before, so she didn't have a chance to see Draco until after lunch. It was only second period to drag on as she itched to see him… to talk to him about what had happened… Anna fidgeted in her seat, ignoring the increasingly annoying History of Magic lesson as she drummed her fingers on the desk impatiently.

The door to the classroom opened with a 'bang' starting Anna out of her daze. Alecto came stood in the doorway, a look of panic on his face as he searched the classroom. His eyes locked on Anna and he huffed towards her, dragging her out of her seat.

"Alecto… hey! What are you doi—"

"Shhhh!" he hissed, yanking her towards the door. She gritted her teeth and followed him, yanking her arm free of his only when the door slammed shut behind him.

"Alecto.."

"Not here!" He hissed, starting off at a half jog down the hallway Anna frowned, pulling out her wand and jogging after him.

They were met by a very nervous Amycus at the base of the headmaster's spiral staircase, they talked in hushed whispers in front of Anna, she could only catch fragments of their conversation.

"into the ministry-"

" harry potter-"

"escaped—"

Snape stood at his door, beckoning the two Carrow's inside, but making Anna wait outside.

The three of them spoke in low, anxious voices and although Anna tried to hear them through the door, the wood proved to thick.

It seemed like hours had passed when Snape finally opened the door, ushering of a very pale Alecto and a slightly weepy Amycus, Anna's eyes followed them as they passed, but they kept their eyes averted, they looked afraid… very afraid. Anna's stomach seemed to bottom out, and she felt their fear creep into her veins. She looked at Snape with a questioning gaze. He gave a stiff nod to her and motioned for her to step into his office. She waited to hear the door click shut before rounding on him.

"Snape… what is going on?" She asked, fighting to keep her voice steady.

Snape studied her for a moment, as if considering whether to trust her or not before speaking.

"The ministry has been infiltrated… Harry Potter and two other people escaped. Although we are not sure if others were involved."

Anna felt her chest tighten. No doubt her father was furious right now…

She looked at Snape with wide, fearful eyes.

"What… what did they take?"

"We don't know yet…" Snape said, Anna could hear the irritation in his voice, as if he was speaking to a child… and an incompetent one at that.

Anna walked over to a seat by his desk and slouched into it. He followed her example, sinking more gracefully into his own seat behind the large desk.

"What now?" She asked, he obviously hadn't called her out of class just to announce this.. he could have easily done that when she saw him later that day.

He let out a deep breath, running a hand over his face.

"Your father wishes for you to meet with him today."

Anna closed her eyes against the fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

"But.. I didn't do anything." She whispered.

"I am not at liberty to discuss this with you Anna." Snape said sharply.

"You will remain here until you are called upon by him." He said, getting up and turning his back on her he ran his hand along a bookshelf, brushing over very old, dusty books until his hand stopped on one, he pulled it out, letting it hit the table with a bang as he set it down on the desk, sliding it over to her.

"Read this until you are called. I have other business to attend to." He said, giving her a piercing look before making his way to the door.

"Do not touch anything in this room, or leave before you are called. Is that clear?" He asked. Anna nodded numbly, refusing to meet Snape's eye. She heard the door slam, and the lock click into place. She was alone.

She flipped through the pages numbly, not absorbing anything on the pages than a few sentences.

What would he do to her once he got her?

She hadn't done anything…

Well… there was Draco….

She felt her stomach twist even tighter.

Oh Merlin! Did he know about Draco? What would happen to him? To them….

Anna fought off tears as images of the dungeon flashed through her head..

the pain.. the excruciating pain… she couldn't go back there again… no… she would do anything…

Her hands shook violently, threatening to spill the book onto the floor, she set it down on the desk, watching her hands. They seemed to move like a humming birds wings, thrumming back and forth with a hypnotic speed, to the beat of her heart.

Thump thump… thump thump… thump thump…

Her mark burned, drawing her out of the trance she had slipped into. Her breathing came in shallow gasps as she stood, trying not to scream… to cry… instead she pictured a blank sheet in her mind, apparating on her father's command.

She was in the same room she had met him in… all those months ago. Yet the feelings she felt towards him: fear, pain, curiosity… burned as though it was just yesterday. He was sitting in a chair, stroking Nagini. The shades were pulled tight, making the room as dark as night, the only came from the fireplace.

She did not wait for him to speak instead she stepped towards him, knowing it was expected of her. She dropped to her knees in front of him, a sob coming from her chest as her demeanor cracked.

He made a noise that may have been soothing coming from another father but from him it sounded as if he was mocking her.

"Shhh my child… why the tears?"

She was sure she heard a chuckle in his voice… he enjoyed her fear.

"I had nothing to do with it father…. I haven't done anything.. please…." She whimpered.

"Is that why you thought I brought you here? To accuse you of some wrong doing?" He asked, reaching under her chin and pulling it up so she was forced to meet his gaze. He used a rough touch to push the tears off her cheeks before pulling his hand back. Anna forced herself to keep her gaze on him.

"It saddens me Anna, that you think of myself only as a disciplinary figure… we have had our differences in the past… as do most parent/children relationships. But I like to think we are past those days… don't you?" He asked, an accusatory look in his bloody eyes. Anna nodded quickly.

He gave her a cold smile, leaning back in his chair.

"Well then, there shall be no more tears. I did not bring you here to punish you."

Anna's eyebrows shot up.

"You didn't?" She asked softly.

"No." He said irritably, obviously not liking that he had to reinforce his answer.

"After today's… attack on the ministry, I have seen some loopholes in my system. Some I am afraid, that exist in Hogwarts as well. I do not feel comfortable with my blood being so distant from me, after all, we have been apart for so long…" He reached down, brushing a hand over her hair. Anna felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"I wish for you to return to your home. You will help the ministry question the order of the phoenix on their whereabouts on this day… afterwards I will inform you of your duties and the role you will play by my side."

Anna looked at him with wide eyes.

"Is that clear?" He asked sharply.

She nodded vigorously, trying to avoid his wrath.

He gave a nod to her, and the door at the end of the room opened.

"_Sleep well." _He murmured in Parseltongue.  
Anna tried to give him what she thought would pass as a smile before turning and walking to the door.

Her room was the same as she had left it. Quiet… cold… desolate. It brought her no comfort to slip between the soft sheets and slip into a dark, dreamless sleep.


	57. AUTHOR'S NOTE: IMPORTANT

Authors Note:

Hello all! I just got home from the Harry Potter Premier here in my city. Needless to say it was an amazing film.

While we waited for the film to start, I was able to discuss my concerns regarding my fan fiction with my friends and fellow Harry Potter lovers.

You see, the story I have told you of Voldemort's daughter has deferred largely from the originally intended plot and this has let me confused, sad, and frustrated.

After much deliberation, and many helpful suggestions I was able to make up my mind as to what to do about this predicament…

In short, I have decided to go back over my story, and re-write it as I see fit.

Much of the first chapters will remain, but the later ones will be very different than they are now.

For all of those who have stuck with me over these long months with little or no updates I would like to apologize, as the story twisted and distorted itself into something I did not recognize I couldn't help but lose interest and develop writers block as I connected less and less with my OC.

The first three chapters will be up under my name with the title: Voldemort's Daughter.

Again, I apologize, but I think most of you will agree that this is for the best once you see where I take the story.

I hope you will read it, and agree with the adjustments and changes I have made.

Thank you all for your support.

Sincerely,

J.R.


	58. Reposted title: Daughter of a Riddle

Hello everyone! Quick update: the first two chapters are up on the re posted story titled: Daughter of a Riddle. No changes to the first chapter, but some to the second.

Enjoy!

J.R.


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